Hubris

[OldSchooler]

I want to preface this by saying I love every one of you in the BY. You add a tremendously enjoyable dimension to the UConn WBB fan base. But I think it's time we started being a little more realistic. 80 people responded to MSGRET's call for prognostication for the NC State game. Aside from the one who correctly picked State as the winner, and five others who had UConn winning by a single digit, the average predicted MOV was UConn by 26. Let's get real, brothers and sisters! These are young kids, not robots. They're not always going to play perfectly. Geno has never shied away from scheduling against the best and the toughest. And a home team in a big arena, with talented players and a good coach, will often have the motivation to pull an upset. Gone are the days when teams would consistently lay down and die before the Huskies, even on their home courts. It's not that UConn is on the decline; rather, that other teams are generally better than they used to be, both in recruiting and in coaching. Geno can take credit for a lot of that parity, and Wes Moore would be one of the first to admit it.

It felt like a thrashing yesterday, even though our guys only lost by 11. This team is not invincible. They have weaknesses that our pre-season euphoria prevented many of us from appreciating. But it's not the end of the world. We still have talent, and great coaching. If they are successful this year, they will have to maximize that talent and show a lot greater desire than demonstrated yesterday. How they respond from this loss will be revealing. We'll get our first indication on Thursday against Maryland, who suffered a really embarrassing thrashing at SC yesterday in what was strangely billed as another "game of the century."

Let's start viewing this UConn team as one of several good, promising contenders this year, rather than one with a clear lane to the Final Four. A championship season has to be earned. Let's see if this roster and coaching staff are up to it this year, without blinding ourselves to the fact that women's basketball today is a lot more competitive.

 

[HuskyNan]

First day on the Boneyard?

Just kidding. There has been a trend for a while - predict blowouts then criticize the kids for not living up to fans’ expectations.

 

[visitingcock]

I want to preface this by saying I love every one of you in the BY. You add a tremendously enjoyable dimension to the UConn WBB fan base. But I think it's time we started being a little more realistic. 80 people responded to MSGRET's call for prognostication for the NC State game. Aside from the one who correctly picked State as the winner, and five others who had UConn winning by a single digit, the average predicted MOV was UConn by 26. Let's get real, brothers and sisters! These are young kids, not robots. They're not always going to play perfectly. Geno has never shied away from scheduling against the best and the toughest. And a home team in a big arena, with talented players and a good coach, will often have the motivation to pull an upset. Gone are the days when teams would consistently lay down and die before the Huskies, even on their home courts. It's not that UConn is on the decline; rather, that other teams are generally better than they used to be, both in recruiting and in coaching. Geno can take credit for a lot of that parity, and Wes Moore would be one of the first to admit it.

It felt like a thrashing yesterday, even though our guys only lost by 11. This team is not invincible. They have weaknesses that our pre-season euphoria prevented many of us from appreciating. But it's not the end of the world. We still have talent, and great coaching. If they are successful this year, they will have to maximize that talent and show a lot greater desire than demonstrated yesterday. How they respond from this loss will be revealing. We'll get our first indication on Thursday against Maryland, who suffered a really embarrassing thrashing at SC yesterday in what was strangely billed as another "game of the century."

Let's start viewing this UConn team as one of several good, promising contenders this year, rather than one with a clear lane to the Final Four. A championship season has to be earned. Let's see if this roster and coaching staff are up to it this year, without blinding ourselves to the fact that women's basketball today is a lot more competitive.

I somehow missed that billing,

Good post otherwise.

 

[sun]

Let's see if this roster and coaching staff are up to it this year, without blinding ourselves to the fact that women's basketball today is a lot more competitive.

I don't blame the players at all.
But UConn had some players on the bench who could have contributed because of their skillsets even if only fot a few minutes.
The winning coach was able to put players on the floor who aren't as talented as some of the UConn bench players that didn't play.
Yet NC State still won the game.

The game was on national TV & a lot of experts were watching how the game was coached.
Yesterday's game is on the record for them to evaluate & to draw their own conclusions & professional criticisms.
Upsets aren't easy to predict but when there's a full bench the players shouldn't be criticized for any coaching mistakes.
If someone were playing badly then it's up to the coach to take them out & not the players faults.
When game plan A doesn't work then there should be plan B & plan C.

 

[AmeriConn]

I want to preface this by saying I love every one of you in the BY. You add a tremendously enjoyable dimension to the UConn WBB fan base. But I think it's time we started being a little more realistic. 80 people responded to MSGRET's call for prognostication for the NC State game. Aside from the one who correctly picked State as the winner, and five others who had UConn winning by a single digit, the average predicted MOV was UConn by 26. Let's get real, brothers and sisters! These are young kids, not robots. They're not always going to play perfectly. Geno has never shied away from scheduling against the best and the toughest. And a home team in a big arena, with talented players and a good coach, will often have the motivation to pull an upset. Gone are the days when teams would consistently lay down and die before the Huskies, even on their home courts. It's not that UConn is on the decline; rather, that other teams are generally better than they used to be, both in recruiting and in coaching. Geno can take credit for a lot of that parity, and Wes Moore would be one of the first to admit it.

It felt like a thrashing yesterday, even though our guys only lost by 11. This team is not invincible. They have weaknesses that our pre-season euphoria prevented many of us from appreciating. But it's not the end of the world. We still have talent, and great coaching. If they are successful this year, they will have to maximize that talent and show a lot greater desire than demonstrated yesterday. How they respond from this loss will be revealing. We'll get our first indication on Thursday against Maryland, who suffered a really embarrassing thrashing at SC yesterday in what was strangely billed as another "game of the century."

Let's start viewing this UConn team as one of several good, promising contenders this year, rather than one with a clear lane to the Final Four. A championship season has to be earned. Let's see if this roster and coaching staff are up to it this year, without blinding ourselves to the fact that women's basketball today is a lot more competitive.

Preach Brother!

 

[GaMo]

But I think it's time we started being a little more realistic.

Predicting undefeated seasons in the 2020s is not realistic. But where do you draw the line about realistic predictions?

Just curious. What was your prediction for UConn WBB prior to the season starting? What was your prediction for the UConn versus NC State game?

After the past 2 games, what is your updated prediction for UConn WBB for the remainder of the season? NC, FF, E8, S16?

Assume that the roster for the NC State game is the roster all season, including March Madness. In other words, no injured players returning. No other players get injured. Thanks.

 

[OldSchooler]

Predicting undefeated seasons in the 2020s is not realistic. But where do you draw the line about realistic predictions?

Just curious. What was your prediction for UConn WBB prior to the season starting? What was your prediction for the UConn versus NC State game?

After the past 2 games, what is your updated prediction for UConn WBB for the remainder of the season? NC, FF, E8, S16?

Assume that the roster for the NC State game is the roster all season, including March Madness. In other words, no injured players returning. No other players get injured. Thanks.

Where to draw the line about "realistic predictrions"? That's highly subjective. But I agree with you -- with all the talent that's out there today, predicting any team to go undefeated is unrealistic.

My prediction for UConn prior to the season was "optimistic." Vs. NC State on Sunday -- "overly optimistic."

We've got a tough schedule (by choice), but any well-coached team welcomes such a challenge. Even Wes said that in his pre-game presser. My prediction on the rest of the season? It's going to be a grind, not a cakewalk. If we go far, good coaching will get us there.

 

[Rowdy831]

I want to preface this by saying I love every one of you in the BY. You add a tremendously enjoyable dimension to the UConn WBB fan base. But I think it's time we started being a little more realistic. 80 people responded to MSGRET's call for prognostication for the NC State game. Aside from the one who correctly picked State as the winner, and five others who had UConn winning by a single digit, the average predicted MOV was UConn by 26. Let's get real, brothers and sisters! These are young kids, not robots. They're not always going to play perfectly. Geno has never shied away from scheduling against the best and the toughest. And a home team in a big arena, with talented players and a good coach, will often have the motivation to pull an upset. Gone are the days when teams would consistently lay down and die before the Huskies, even on their home courts. It's not that UConn is on the decline; rather, that other teams are generally better than they used to be, both in recruiting and in coaching. Geno can take credit for a lot of that parity, and Wes Moore would be one of the first to admit it.

It felt like a thrashing yesterday, even though our guys only lost by 11. This team is not invincible. They have weaknesses that our pre-season euphoria prevented many of us from appreciating. But it's not the end of the world. We still have talent, and great coaching. If they are successful this year, they will have to maximize that talent and show a lot greater desire than demonstrated yesterday. How they respond from this loss will be revealing. We'll get our first indication on Thursday against Maryland, who suffered a really embarrassing thrashing at SC yesterday in what was strangely billed as another "game of the century."

Let's start viewing this UConn team as one of several good, promising contenders this year, rather than one with a clear lane to the Final Four. A championship season has to be earned. Let's see if this roster and coaching staff are up to it this year, without blinding ourselves to the fact that women's basketball today is a lot more competitive.

Fans are suppose to be unrealistic with their expectations and social media gives a platform where you can complain when it doesn't work out that way. UConn is still a great group of players and will still have a great season but they can't just show up and expect to win. They will stop settling for long threes and force the opponent to play defense but until then please excuse me when I am playing armchair WBB coach.

 

[maple]

Predicting undefeated seasons in the 2020s is not realistic. But where do you draw the line about realistic predictions?

Just curious. What was your prediction for UConn WBB prior to the season starting? What was your prediction for the UConn versus NC State game?

After the past 2 games, what is your updated prediction for UConn WBB for the remainder of the season? NC, FF, E8, S16?

Assume that the roster for the NC State game is the roster all season, including March Madness. In other words, no injured players returning. No other players get injured. Thanks.

1. I thought they could lose 2-3 games this season (pre-NCAA tournament) and at least get to the FF.

2. I thought they would beat NC St., likely by double-digits, due to a big scoring run that kept the game out of reach for NC St.

3. I still think they think do what they are supposed to do (rebounding, playing tough, moving on offense, making open shots) they have a chance for the FF. But they absolutely cannot play like they played Sunday. They need to play like we know they have the talent to play like. They could even make the NC game. If they play like they played on Sunday, I expect them to get bounced in the S16 again. The only thing I can't predict is seeding and upsets for the tourney, which could help them get further in the tourney even with poor play.

The ceiling is the NC and I think they are capable of it, but we need to see some consistent playing and improvement happen first. The floor is S16, if not the E8. It makes me queasy to think about back to back S16 exits. IMHO that would not bode well for the future of the program.

 

[my2cents]

As I read this I was going to ignore it and go about my day. But, the more I thought about it, the more I needed to answer it. This is a UCONN board dominated by UCONN fans, why wouldn't we pick UCONN to win the game, that is our desired outcome.
As for predicting the score, you have to take in all the information available before the game. How many times have we lost to an un-ranked team? When has NCST ever beaten us? What was the Vegas line? etc. I don't ever predict score, but to those that do, its a fun past time.
To conclude, that in this case people were wrong, shows no disrespect to NCST. The only hubris I see is by the OP.

 

[diggerfoot]

I expected one loss before the tournaments. I am not wrong yet.
I am big on efficiency and I expected dramatic improvement there. I was even so optimistic as to think the three main facilitators would average 3.0 A/T ratio. So far so good, though who knew Bueckers would have the worst of the three?

I expected an average of about 10-12 turnovers per game. Also so far so very good.

I expected assists to average 20-24 per game. Needs improvement.

I expected we would shoot close to 40% on threes as a team. Also not so good right now.

We were warned about the fouling so I can’t say I expected less, but I hoped for less. Not so good.

I did not have a specific rebounding target in mind, but I expected better than current. I also expected Brady to start and I suspect falling short on those two expectations is related.

I expected the freshman to be major contributors. It’s early in the season so maybe they will be, and just maybe that is ultimately what will remedy my other expectations.

 

[willtalk]

I thank Oldschooler for his post. He basically stated what I was thinking and really needed to be said. Not to put down some UConn fans, but to reveal a reality that they seemed to have missed as of late.

Those of us who kept track of girls basketball in both high school and AAU saw this coming. The entire dynamic of girls and by effect womens basketball has changed drastically beginning with the middle teens of 2000's. The level and number of girls even before they enter high school has increased drastically. They come into high school with skill sets to match and even exceed those of players who used to be high level recruits in the past. Almost every high school player has spent the off season in some sort of developmental program before they even entered high school.

This means that the number of highly skilled players are is such that they are not restricted to just the top programs in college. They also do not need top programs to help develop their skills as they once did. They level of coaching has also been elevating for some time. No longer are womens teams limited to just ex players who are not necessarily good coaches. I believe Geno seemed to be the vangard of a trend in that direction. There are a lot of really excellent coaches in the WCBB ranks today.

All of these factors have led to the present state of Womens College basketball. UConn and other top programs do not automatically get the best players. Other programs are also likely to get top players and the number available makes for more parity. Recognizing this reality is in the best longterm interests of the UConn fans. It will avoid unrealistic expectations and the resulting disappointments.

 

[TCC Kid]

I want to preface this by saying I love every one of you in the BY. You add a tremendously enjoyable dimension to the UConn WBB fan base. But I think it's time we started being a little more realistic. 80 people responded to MSGRET's call for prognostication for the NC State game. Aside from the one who correctly picked State as the winner, and five others who had UConn winning by a single digit, the average predicted MOV was UConn by 26. Let's get real, brothers and sisters! These are young kids, not robots. They're not always going to play perfectly. Geno has never shied away from scheduling against the best and the toughest. And a home team in a big arena, with talented players and a good coach, will often have the motivation to pull an upset. Gone are the days when teams would consistently lay down and die before the Huskies, even on their home courts. It's not that UConn is on the decline; rather, that other teams are generally better than they used to be, both in recruiting and in coaching. Geno can take credit for a lot of that parity, and Wes Moore would be one of the first to admit it.

It felt like a thrashing yesterday, even though our guys only lost by 11. This team is not invincible. They have weaknesses that our pre-season euphoria prevented many of us from appreciating. But it's not the end of the world. We still have talent, and great coaching. If they are successful this year, they will have to maximize that talent and show a lot greater desire than demonstrated yesterday. How they respond from this loss will be revealing. We'll get our first indication on Thursday against Maryland, who suffered a really embarrassing thrashing at SC yesterday in what was strangely billed as another "game of the century."

Let's start viewing this UConn team as one of several good, promising contenders this year, rather than one with a clear lane to the Final Four. A championship season has to be earned. Let's see if this roster and coaching staff are up to it this year, without blinding ourselves to the fact that women's basketball today is a lot more competitive.

I followed the Uconn men in the old field house for many years. 20 wins in a year was a terrific year. No NC, No final 4. The Kids playing the game were what it was all about and the UConn on the shirt. Fans were local.
I've been a fan of the men until I found "precision basketball" with Geno. I switched. Now nearly every other year is a 30 game win--some were perfect years---Hooo Hummm. What did this team do for me too day?
Human nature hardly ever takes into consideration the human-ness of the Coaches and the Players. We want MORE. We DEMAND Perfection, always. Human don't have to be perfect to be GOOD.
In ANY world, perfection or near perfection only lasts a short time. Love it while you have it.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

All of these factors have led to the present state of Womens College basketball. UConn and other top programs do not automatically get the best players. Other programs are also likely to get top players and the number available makes for more parity. Recognizing this reality is in the best longterm interests of the UConn fans. It will avoid unrealistic expectations and the resulting disappointments.

I agree it's been trending towards more great players going to more very good programs for years now, although the portal and immediate eligibility makes it less likely players stay for four years IMO.

Even last season a stacked SC team who was on a course with destiny had it denied due to a performance for the ages from a player who could have suited up anywhere in the country but stayed home to play. Stories like that will likely become more common.

When Stewie came of age in the 2013 tournament I didn't see Uconn losing a NC while she was there and they didn't. The 2016 FF was a fitting coronation yet also very boring for the average fan. Seeing more teams make the FF and NC is good for the sport.

 

[TCC Kid]

I thank Oldschooler for his post. He basically stated what I was thinking and really needed to be said. Not to put down some UConn fans, but to reveal a reality that they seemed to have missed as of late.

Those of us who kept track of girls basketball in both high school and AAU saw this coming. The entire dynamic of girls and by effect womens basketball has changed drastically beginning with the middle teens of 2000's. The level and number of girls even before they enter high school has increased drastically. They come into high school with skill sets to match and even exceed those of players who used to be high level recruits in the past. Almost every high school player has spent the off season in some sort of developmental program before they even entered high school.

This means that the number of highly skilled players are is such that they are not restricted to just the top programs in college. They also do not need top programs to help develop their skills as they once did. They level of coaching has also been elevating for some time. No longer are womens teams limited to just ex players who are not necessarily good coaches. I believe Geno seemed to be the vangard of a trend in that direction. There are a lot of really excellent coaches in the WCBB ranks today.

This isn't a NEW trend of EXPECTATIONs not being met. Go back to Pre-DT and come this way. Each LOSS was met recriminations. Disappointed fan. Personally in the late 90's I believed Geno could pull out any game he was losing --to win. He made a believer out of me. Then, I a student of the Human Condition with education, learned. DT, SUE, Swin, Maria, Tina, Montgomery, Shay, all had a bad game here and there. Why? Because they were born of mothers--i.e. Humans.

All of these factors have led to the present state of Womens College basketball. UConn and other top programs do not automatically get the best players. Other programs are also likely to get top players and the number available makes for more parity. Recognizing this reality is in the best longterm interests of the UConn fans. It will avoid unrealistic expectations and the resulting disappointments.

 

[maple]

When Stewie came of age in the 2013 tournament I didn't see Uconn losing a NC while she was there and they didn't. The 2016 FF was a fitting coronation yet also very boring for the average fan. Seeing more teams make the FF and NC is good for the sport.

I agree.

The 2016 Final Four had Syracuse, Washington, and Oregon State, all who made it to the FF for their 1st (and to date, only) time! And if I recall correctly, this was the season where all the #1 seeds (UConn, Baylor, SCar, and Notre Dame) were predicted to make it to the FF. So while UConn winning might have been boring, all the other upsets were pretty cool to see. I remember the analysts saying that this was showing how parity was starting to show in the women's' game. And then, of course, we know what happened with UConn in 2017 ... Maybe you could say 2016 was the beginning of the end for that era of WBB and the start of "real parity".

 

[MSSportsGuy]

The 2016 Final Four had Syracuse, Washington, and Oregon State, all who made it to the FF for their 1st (and to date, only) time! And if I recall correctly, this was the season where all the #1 seeds (UConn, Baylor, SCar, and Notre Dame) were predicted to make it to the FF. So while UConn winning might have been boring, all the other upsets were pretty cool to see.

Excellent point. Maybe boring isn't the right word, anticlimactic could be what I'm trying to say. I guess I just remember the FF being such "yeah let's get on with it" because UConn was so far above the rest of the field, including those number 1 seeds who lost as well.

I recall there being chatter around that time was UConn bad for the game because they were so dominant. I saw the point the commentators were making given the winning streak of 3 years and 1 loss (in OT). I didn't expect then I would see this many years go by without a UConn NC but it's where we are now

 

[maple]

Excellent point. Maybe boring isn't the right word, anticlimactic could be what I'm trying to say. I guess I just remember the FF being such "yeah let's get on with it" because UConn was so far above the rest of the field, including those number 1 seeds who lost as well.

I recall there being chatter around that time was UConn bad for the game because they were so dominant. I saw the point the commentators were making given the winning streak of 3 years and 1 loss (in OT). I didn't expect then I would see this many years go by without a UConn NC but it's where we are now

I think that's a sentiment shared by many. For a while we just couldn't get over the hump of playing in a FF game. Then we made it but lost for the first time ever in a NC game. And then last year we didn't even make it out of the S16 (unthinkable!!). All sports teams experience ups and downs, the downs just look worse when your ups have been at the highest point of all for so long. Every fanbase wishes they could have just "only" made every single FF from 2017 through 2022 (excluding 2020).

As I've gotten older, while I still remain a total UConn homer, I've grown to appreciate more parity in WBB. It's hard not to get depressed as as a diehard UConn fan when you realize you're no longer THE #1 WBB TEAM above everyone else, but I try to remember that a rising tide lifts all shifts. And branching out and watching many more teams play the game (thanks to more access) gives better perspective on it all. I didn't even let yesterday's game completely ruin my mood!

 

[Next 12]

I had posted that Wes Moore was a good coach and NC State would fight hard and try to win,BUT Uconn's 10 player scoring machine would win. Wes Moore could only hope to keep the scoring tight and settle for a great effort from his team. Boy, I was almost right. Who knew they had 2 players that could score like they did.I give credit to Wes Moore for pulling a Geno performance with his team. GO HUSKIES!!!!

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

We at the BoneYard want to believe our greatness is deserved every year because we're UCONN!
Think about this, Teams that were always big winners are now an after thought in today's WBB.
La Tech, Old Dominion, Auburn, TN, GA, USoCal, Ohio St, Virginia, Rutgers, Duke, Alabama, Vandy, Boston College, TX, Cheyney State, TX Tech, Baylor, Purdue, NoCar, Western KY, TX A&M, etc.
Where are they now?
Nothing is promised any school, even UCONN!
What UCONN has done since 1995 is unbelievable in any sport!
Everyone wanted parity, well buckle your chin straps we've got parity!
No more of throwing your legacy out on the court days and winning are over!
I still feel that UCONN will win the National Championship but they will have to perform up to UCONN's usual standards every game!

 

[maple]

We at the BoneYard want to believe our greatness is deserved every year because we're UCONN!
Think about this, Teams that were always big winners are now an after thought in today's WBB.
La Tech, Old Dominion, Auburn, TN, GA, USoCal, Ohio St, Virginia, Rutgers, Duke, Alabama, Vandy, Boston College, TX, Cheyney State, TX Tech, Baylor, Purdue, NoCar, Western KY, TX A&M, etc.
Where are they now?
Nothing is promised any school, even UCONN!
What UCONN has done since 1995 is unbelievable in any sport!
Everyone wanted parity, well buckle your chin straps we've got parity!
No more of throwing your legacy out on the court days and winning are over!
I still feel that UCONN will win the National Championship but they will have to perform up to UCONN's usual standards every game!

All good points. And let’s not even forget the original stars of WBB, Immaculata College (now University). Aside from winning so much, they were once so famous that they starred in the first ever nationally televised collegiate WBB game AND in the first ever WBB game at MSG.

But how many WBB fans these days remember them, if they’ve even heard of them at all? As good as they were, their success did not last beyond a decade and they pretty much languish in obscurity now. To think that UConn has had such success for 30 years — and likely has more to come — is pretty amazing.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

All good points. And let’s not even forget the original stars of WBB, Immaculata College (now University). Aside from winning so much, they were once so famous that they starred in the first ever nationally televised collegiate WBB game AND in the first ever WBB game at MSG.

But how many WBB fans these days remember them, if they’ve even heard of them at all? As good as they were, their success did not last beyond a decade and they pretty much languish in obscurity now. To think that UConn has had such success for 30 years — and likely has more to come — is pretty amazing.

maple- - I was trying to remember Immaculata, but at 76 years old the mind is a terrible thing to waste!

 

[visitingcock]

We at the BoneYard want to believe our greatness is deserved every year because we're UCONN!
Think about this, Teams that were always big winners are now an after thought in today's WBB.
La Tech, Old Dominion, Auburn, TN, GA, USoCal, Ohio St, Virginia, Rutgers, Duke, Alabama, Vandy, Boston College, TX, Cheyney State, TX Tech, Baylor, Purdue, NoCar, Western KY, TX A&M, etc.
Where are they now?
Nothing is promised any school, even UCONN!
What UCONN has done since 1995 is unbelievable in any sport!
Everyone wanted parity, well buckle your chin straps we've got parity!
No more of throwing your legacy out on the court days and winning are over!
I still feel that UCONN will win the National Championship but they will have to perform up to UCONN's usual standards every game!

I would not consider Ohio State, Texas, Baylor, NoCar, Texas A&M as afterthoughts. Tennessee? Maybe an afterthought.

 

[Bone Dog]

Yet another demand for "realism" from fans on a fan forum -- is that realistic?

I go into every game with rose colored glasses because it makes the time between games (and between seasons) more bearable. I spend the off days imagining everything that might go right in the next game. I don't waste my time worrying about what might go wrong. That's what coaches have to do, and I'm not on the UConn coaching staff last I checked.

 

[meyers7]

Everyone wanted parity, well buckle your chin straps we've got parity!

I never wanted parity. I wanted (still want) UCONN to win every game by 20+ points.