Is Stanford Dodging Uconn?

[Monte]

12/23/15: Last sentence in John A's column: "But Stanford is off the schedule for the foreseeable future."
Uconn has played Stanford every year from the 2006-2007 season. As you remember, this summer Van DerVeer stated they would bypass a meeting this year and resume it next year(2016-2017). Evidently, that is not going to happen. She was quoted in the past as saying, "For the most part, we don't recruit the same kids. Geno and I are friends."
I can't get it out of my mind that the reason she does not want to play Uconn again is that they got Katie Lou, and she didn't.
There seems to be so much going on in coaches' minds that the fans are not aware of.
I love the common phrase: "We just could not fit them into our schedule."

 

[Goodgood]

12/23/15: Last sentence in John A's column: "But Stanford is off the schedule for the foreseeable future."
Uconn has played Stanford every year from the 2006-2007 season. As you remember, this summer Van DerVeer stated they would bypass a meeting this year and resume it next year(2016-2017). Evidently, that is not going to happen. She was quoted in the past as saying, "For the most part, we don't recruit the same kids. Geno and I are friends."
I can't get it out of my mind that the reason she does not want to play Uconn again is that they got Katie Lou, and she didn't.
There seems to be so much going on in coaches' minds that the fans are not aware of.
I love the common phrase: "We just could not fit them into our schedule."

She never said that. She asked Geno last year to postpone the series because her team can't be competitive for a while.

 

[Monte]

She never said that. She asked Geno last year to postpone the series because her team can't be competitive for a while.

She never said what?....state the words.

 

[reno tony]

They are the only team with a winning streak against UCONN... as far as I know. TENN might, but I am not sure.

 

[mudcat]

She never said what?....state the words.

I can't get it out of my mind that the reason she does not want to play Uconn again is that they got Katie Lou, and she didn't.
There seems to be so much going on in coaches' minds that the fans are not aware of.

Those are the words.

 

[Gus Mahler]

I believe UT won the last three meetings with UCONN. These were all in the regular season, 2005-2007.

 

[Goodgood]

She was quoted in the past as saying, "For the most part, we don't recruit the same kids. Geno and I are friends."
I can't get it out of my mind that the reason she does not want to play Uconn again is that they got Katie Lou, and she didn't.

She had 2 Samuelson, 2 Ogwumike, Erika McCall, Jane Appel and many more that Geno recruited and lost . I don't Katie Lou would be the reason.

 

[Monte]

I can't get it out of my mind that the reason she does not want to play Uconn again is that they got Katie Lou, and she didn't.
There seems to be so much going on in coaches' minds that the fans are not aware of.

Those are the words.

Those are MY words; that is what I was thinking. In my initial post, the words she said have quotation marks around them.

 

[Monte]

She had 2 Samuelson, 2 Ogwumike, Erika McCall, Jane Appel and many more that Geno recruited and lost . I don't Katie Lou would be the reason.

You are probably right. It just struck me that NOW, they will not play for 2 consecutive years. This summer, the plan was to just take this year off from competing.

 

[EricLA]

I believe UT won the last three meetings with UCONN. These were all in the regular season, 2005-2007.

UCONN just beat Texas last year in the NCAA's - by a rather wide margin.

 

[Gus Mahler]

UCONN just beat Texas last year in the NCAA's - by a rather wide margin.

I was responding to Reno Tony. Should have hit reply. In my world UT = TN.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

And it could be as simple as she doesn't see any reason to play you at this point. Clearly her team is having some down times, and knowing how competitive she is, perhaps she doesn't see any advantage to having her team take the likely loss.

I'll rarely say something like this, but about the issue of "playing UConn" I don't understand why folks on this board get perturbed about it. If someone appears to disrespect you (i.e. Tennessee, perhaps Syracuse) that is a good reason to complain. If someone sets themselves up as a really superior team and then "ducks" you (if ND or SC or Baylor refused to play you over a number of years, for example) I get that too.

But Stanford is - as is fairly obvious - struggling. It started last year to some degree and is more pronounced this year. That's struggling by their standards, not the rest of women's basketball. But they're not claiming to be all that right now. They seem to be trying to get their house in order. I expect them to lose up to 4 games in the PAC - make the tourney and bow out in the Sweet 16.

 

[DaddyChoc]

And it could be as simple as she doesn't see any reason to play you at this point. Clearly her team is having some down times, and knowing how competitive she is, perhaps she doesn't see any advantage to having her team take the likely loss.

I'll rarely say something like this, but about the issue of "playing UConn" I don't understand why folks on this board get perturbed about it. If someone appears to disrespect you (i.e. Tennessee, perhaps Syracuse) that is a good reason to complain. If someone sets themselves up as a really superior team and then "ducks" you (if ND or SC or Baylor refused to play you over a number of years, for example) I get that too.

But Stanford is - as is fairly obvious - struggling. It started last year to some degree and is more pronounced this year. That's struggling by their standards, not the rest of women's basketball. But they're not claiming to be all that right now. They seem to be trying to get their house in order. I expect them to lose up to 4 games in the PAC - make the tourney and bow out in the Sweet 16.

Stanford didnt struggle last year against UConn

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Stanford didnt struggle last year against UConn

True. But 5 losses in the PAC, including to Arizona??? Won the PAC tourney, but bowed out in the Sweet 16 to ND. None of their OOC losses were bad, but they had 4 of them including 3 of the 4 best teams they played.

This year a much weaker OOC schedule, with the losses to Santa Clara and Texas; best wins Tennessee and Purdue. Both of those wins are a bit problematical to assess.

I hope to see them play in person, we (Arizona) open the PAC season against them at home.

 

[Sonny44]

Actually it's baylor whose been ducking us, among others.

 

[Blakeon18]

UConn 13 LadyVol 9. It is quite delicious that the 4 game margin can be explained
by UConn winning all 4 games in the national title game against them...1995, 2000, 2003
and 2004.

 

[TerpWomenFan]

I guess a key is who is going to wind up with Aquira DeCosta. If Stanford winds up with her I'm sure Geno's phone will be on speed dial.

 

[CL82]

I can't really care one way or the other. This isn't like Tenn saying we won't play them because "Geno knows the the reason" or even Syracuse refusing to give Stewart a home game. It's a scheduling decision. If she doesn't think it is her team's best interest to play UConn, that's fine, IMHO.

 

[easttexastrash]

If a coach thinks, actually knows, that they would not be competitive against UCONN and would likely lose by 30 or 40 there is no benefit to playing you. I don't know why you don't accept it as a sign of respect for the quality of team that you have.

 

[easttexastrash]

Actually it's baylor whose been ducking us, among others.

Don't feel so special. Baylor ducked everyone this year.

 

[CL82]

Hey @easttexastrash, do you have any backstory regarding your avatar pict? I remember the event, but I wonder if anyone knows what prompted it?

 

[easttexastrash]

Hey @easttexastrash, do you have any backstory regarding your avatar pict? I remember the event, but I wonder if anyone knows what prompted it?

I am not sure what Geno was helping to remove from Mulkey's jacket. Maybe the price tag?

 

[Beemer]

UConn 13 LadyVol 9. It is quite delicious that the 4 game margin can be explained
by UConn winning all 4 games in the national title game against them...1995, 2000, 2003
and 2004.

Yup UConn is 4-0 in national championship games against Tennessee. That is one record that is going to stand awhile.

 

[slug25]

It's a bit disingenuous for Tara to say that UConn and Stanford don' t recruit the same players. Starting with Sue Bird and continuing through Lou, the list is extensive and will likely continue to be so.

 

[Monte]

I can't really care one way or the other. This isn't like Tenn saying we won't play them because "Geno knows the the reason" or even Syracuse refusing to give Stewart a home game. It's a scheduling decision. If she doesn't think it is her team's best interest to play UConn, that's fine, IMHO.

I started this thread because a schedule change was stated in the Hartford Courant on December 23rd. This summer, the plan was for Stanford and Uconn to take ONE year off; then, in 2016-2017, Stanford was supposed to come to Connecticut to resume the series. The paper said yesterday, that Stanford would not be on the schedule for 2016-2017.