Is Sunday's UConn-Tennessee game a must-win for the Huskies? | The Boneyard

Is Sunday's UConn-Tennessee game a must-win for the Huskies?

CocoHusky

CocoHusky

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I agree with this:

"UConn's best chance of staying closer to home in the tournament rests with being better than the No. 3 seed where it was slotted in the reveal. That is why, in contrast to what nearly anyone would have predicted at the start of the season, Sunday's game means more to UConn than it does Tennessee."

Is Sunday's UConn-Tennessee game a must-win for the Huskies?

Thoughts
 
I would not say anything is “must win” until the final week of the season. We do not know what happens to other teams (or us) that might change the equation until then. But if we switch to “important” ….

Important for staying in Bridgeport? Yes, but it depends on what happens to all teams moving forward.

Important for our chances in the tournament? Hardly. That depends much more on who is healthy to play than seedings. We could be seeded seventh out west with Bueckers and stand a better chance than seeded second in Bridgeport without Bueckers. In that regards it is more important for Tennessee, for whom health is currently less of a question mark.

Important for the “rivalry?” Much, much, more important for Tennessee. They have yet to prove they can beat us in the post-Summit era and only within the past couple of years have made the games competitive. If they can’t beat us without Bueckers that’s a far greater stigma for them.
 
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Nope. Would be nice to get a win, but probably makes no difference. TN has not played well last couple of games. Not sure what's going on. They got blown out the other night.
 
I know I was thinking what might happen to seedings if we lost to either the Providence team or the Creighton team? Now that this has passed, maybe some speculation?
 
In this crazy environment...my conclusion is, and this applies to ANY TEAM because they have all shown unexpected vulnerabilities, is that the 6 games in the tournament are the only must-haves. Even if a team gets a preferable placement/seeding, chances are something out of their control is bound to happen. That's just the current reality. Prepare mentally for the worst circumstance(s). I was watching part of the UCLA game last night and their bench looked like an ICU. Crazy.
 
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March madness isn't far away. Tennessee hasn't played well lately. Yes, it is very important to win this game for both seeding and making a statement that Uconn isn't a 10th seed.
 
We really don't have any quality wins this year. A win over the LVs, even though they are not playing well now, would be a very confidence builder for the players. They will still be a top 10 team when we play them, so this will help us when the tournament brackets are announced. If we lose, our chances to play in Bridgeport will take a hit, especially since we are already slated for Spokane in the last reveal. Yes, I know, Charlie Creme takes are not those of the committee, but we still need a quality win to show that we deserve to stay in the east. If we can win this game, I believe all the tickets UConn fans have already purchased for the regional will be well spent.
 
IF...big IF...Creme is right...and there's no movement in the rankings (the BIG PART) he has Tenn as the 2 in Spokane and Uconn as the 3...meaning they could potentially meet in the tourney. UCONN might have to beat IOWA and I don't like that matchup. But, in reality, by next week the whole regional bracket could take a hit.
 
Tennessee has taken such a hit recently that beating them is not the same as it would have been a few weeks ago. It sure would be great to get off to a strong start and get the crowd behind the team. Tennessee must be reeling from the punches some right now.
 
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yes. it is a must win. If TN wins after losing to Auberon and Florida it will reflect real bad on UConn and the seeding that UConn will get. UConn winning will enhance the argument that UConn is a 2 seed and should be placed at the Bridgeport region.
 
CocoHusky said:
I agree with this:

"UConn's best chance of staying closer to home in the tournament rests with being better than the No. 3 seed where it was slotted in the reveal. That is why, in contrast to what nearly anyone would have predicted at the start of the season, Sunday's game means more to UConn than it does Tennessee."

Is Sunday's UConn-Tennessee game a must-win for the Huskies?

Thoughts
Expand ...
It is hardly a must win. It is simply another game, and our last one this year, against an out of conference quality team. It is another test of where we are. Win or lose doesn't matter. As to where we are in the NCAA Tournament, that will evolve as it will.
 
cwaduke said:
March madness isn't far away. Tennessee hasn't played well lately. Yes, it is very important to win this game for both seeding and making a statement that Uconn isn't a 10th seed.
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10th seed..Really? U do realize right now they are projected to be a 3 seed..so if they lose to LV they will drop from a 3 seed to a 10Th seed ? there is a big difference between what a team is ranked and what they will be seeded
 
Vowelguy said:
The only “must” for UConn is getting Paige back and her being at a high level.
This team has no shot of going far without her, and almost anything is possible with her (at 90+ %).
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I disagree. If by "going far" you mean winning the championship, yes it would be difficult without Paige. But our team without Paige is developing cohesiveness and new players (Fudd, Ducharme, Juhacz) are contributing so much more now than when season began. To me it certainly seems that we could get to final four. Two more players are also coming around again- I like how Aaliyah is staying hungry and aggressive, and I was impressed by Evina's rebound against Creighton. Except for 1st quarter when Creighton shot lights out and UConn was figuring things out, that was a great performance by everyone (and Liv was huge!)- we really dominated Creighton in their gym for 3 of the 4 quarters and won by close to 20 points.

I think UConn, even without Paige, can indeed advance far. Most teams in the tournament would prefer not to play UConn- a wounded animal can be dangerous.
 
TeamFirst! said:
Tennessee has taken such a hit recently that beating them is not the same as it would have been a few weeks ago. It sure would be great to get off to a strong start and get the crowd behind the team. Tennessee must be reeling from the punches some right now.
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On the backhand they may come out extra motivated but i doubt it .
 
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Conndog said:
we really dominated Creighton in their gym for 3 of the 4 quarters and won by close to 20 points.
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We lost the first 17 minutes by 12, won the last 23 minutes by 32....
 
A win is needed to secure a 2 seed and increase the chances to being sent to the closest regional. The teams need this win to remind themselves of how good they are as well. They have not been playing well against decent or lackluster teams recently.
And most importantly, the team needs to win because a loss would close the BY for a few days
 
It's a huge game for both teams. Tennessee is struggling and needs to right the ship, this would be a big way to do it. If they lose badly, it's a big sign that the wheels are spiraling off considering their play as of late. They could right the ship but usually the better teams come back strong after a bad loss and it'd be a major indication that Tennessee isn't as strong as they appeared to be.

For UCONN this would give them a significant win and locks in a top 3 seed. Losing to Tennessee puts them on the bubble of the 3/4 line IMO, and the route to a Final Four is drastically different being a 3 vs. a 4 in the NCAA tournament.
 
Let me throw my two cents in here. Is this a “must win”, no. UConn will still make the tournament. Anything can happen after that. Our team should adopt the collective mindset that every game from this point forward is a must win, and play with that level of urgency. Their play in the session will take care of itself. Make it a team goal to run the table the rest of the way.

Tennessee lost by 25 to unranked Florida last night. They’re not on a roll, and can be had. They are the highest ranked (#7) team we will play before the dance. Not only will this be UConn's last test, it's an opportunity to get in sync and adjust to the level of play they’ll see in March.

A win against Tennesse would be a huge morale booster that this team could really use, given the trials, distractions and disruptions they’ve endured this season.
 
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