Is UConn the #2 now?

[UcMiami]

But does anyone really think the Big12 or Big10 or SEC represent significant challenges? Maryland and Iowa are sort of in the top ten by default, as any Big12 team other than Baylor is in the top 25 and any SEC team other than MsSt in the top 25. The only P5s serious competition are the Pac12 and ACC and I suspect the Pac12 might be a little illusory.

While people are talking about how wide open the top ten rankings are and how great that is for the sport, the reality seems to me to be more the general mediocrity of the sport this year and the general weakness rather than a raising of the standards.

 

[UConnNick]

I agree Kim's team have a habit of loosing focus at the most inopportune moments. Tht loss may come in the tournament which would be fine with me.

I like Kim, but I live for those moments when she throws some piece of her game day apparel into the third row.

 

[oldude]

But does anyone really think the Big12 or Big10 or SEC represent significant challenges? Maryland and Iowa are sort of in the top ten by default, as any Big12 team other than Baylor is in the top 25 and any SEC team other than MsSt in the top 25. The only P5s serious competition are the Pac12 and ACC and I suspect the Pac12 might be a little illusory.

While people are talking about how wide open the top ten rankings are and how great that is for the sport, the reality seems to me to be more the general mediocrity of the sport this year and the general weakness rather than a raising of the standards.

I’ll give the SEC a little more credit as a league, particularly with SC trending upward, but your comments on the Big 10 & 12 are spot on.

 

[MSGRET]

Lou did a little dishing of her own against UCF. As did Megan and Chrystin.

@huskeynut loved it when Lou had the hard foul and the UCF player started ragging her, she just looked at her pointed up and said "Scoreboard" that was just priceless.

 

[oldude]

@huskeynut loved it when Lou had the hard foul and the UCF player started ragging her, she just looked at her pointed up and said "Scoreboard" that was just priceless.

I really thought Lou could have pretty easily blocked that shot without fouling, but she appeared intent on doling out a little payback. I’m OK with that....

 

[Dokey]

Remember Oregon lost one of their best players to a 2nd quarter injury and were playing on road to packed house. They will still be No. 1 in Portland.

 

[huskeynut]

I really thought Lou could have pretty easily blocked that shot without fouling, but she appeared intent on doling out a little payback. I’m OK with that....

I liked the drive with Lou's shoulder going into the face of a UCF player, I beleive it was Wright, and said player being deposited on the floor!

Also enjoy Squeaks steal, breakaway and fending off a UCF defender trying to come over her back.

 

[Dokey]

Expect Lou to be fired up the rest of the way. This is same player who went 10 for 10 from beyond the arc. Teams have watched UConn design offense around getting ball to Pheesa in paint. Look for a switch of strategy in tourney if they have to go against teams with bigger girls at post with Lou, Crystal and Megan raining 3 pointers as opponents gang up on Pheesa.

 

[donalddoowop]

I guess I’m the only one that thinks Megan is doing as well as could possibly be expected. Slow, not great handles, below average finisher & passer but her numbers have been good! We can’t expect much more from her.

Why not? We're going to get more from her.

 

[BroadwayVa]

It seems I may have almost an opposite view as you, though maybe I am just misinterpreting. I understand the sentiment that no loss is a good one but, in reality, there is more potential to learn something needs to be fixed from a loss than a win, at least for a particular opponent. There is also a little extra motivation, should there be a rematch.

Notre Dame, on paper, is the best team in the field, but they remind me of the 2001 UConn team. Without injuries, addition by subtraction, both Notre Dame 19 and UConn 01 have/had chemistry issues. To me this was symbolized in the handshake line when AO dissed Auriemma, to be followed by Shepherd making amends. Also, there is danger when one player (Young) is recognized by everyone, including fans and WNBA scouts, as the straw that stirs the drink but another player is treated by the media as such. Notre Dame has not been able to play to its potential throughout a whole season, I do not believe they will be able to play up to their potential for all six games of the NCAA tournament.I
However, I do think they can and will play up to their potential if they match up with UConn again. The only thing I wish for in the bracketology is for Notre Dame not to be in the same region as UConn. If they end up in a different region, chances are UConn will never have to play them. Meanwhile, I like UConn's chances against the rest of the field, either because they have not played recently (Oregon), or they have and I think UConn has gained more from their previous meeting (Baylor and Louisville).

I Agree with @veryOldog--No loss is a good one. If you have to lose to teach your players anything--you have the wrong players. Uconn has never required a sledge hammer to get their attention. (a ballpeen?).
A player like A.O. would never ever be on a Uconn team. Attitude. Her energy, determination, shooting skills are wonderful, attitude?? I will never ever sell ND short. Too often, they crawled out from the ashes of predicted badness. Muffet is a class A coach, a class A plus recruiter, that is why when Geno et al beat her I'm very happy.
Both Baylor and Louisville taught Geno a lesson he knew--a shorter talented team has to make every 3 point shot to win from a tall talented team. Daaa! With Louisville the lesson learned was to not play a hot shooting team at home when you are in a shooting slump. Should Uconn meet Louisville on a neutral court (and out of the slump) Uconn will prevail. Should they meet Baylor again--don't.

 

[bbballfan23]

Why not? We're going to get more from her.

I guess I’m just saying that I expect something from her but it’s not to be a top 3 contributor for us. If we get it, great, if not, no biggie because wasn’t expected to begin with. As Geno says, it will come down to our Big 3.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I guess I’m just saying that I expect something from her but it’s not to be a top 3 contributor for us. If we get it, great, if not, no biggie because wasn’t expected to begin with. As Geno says, it will come down to our Big 3.

I think Geno was lighting a fire under CW/Megan. To think Megan or CW won't be impactful in the NC run is saying --don't even think FF or NC. It won't happen without them.

 

[msf22b]

Just feeding the MoJO God a little more subtly than Doomed, do you hear, doomed. Might as well be the Donner Party!

View attachment 39850

We're up there: SugarBowl, Alpine, Squaw as we speak.
M

 

[Plebe]

But does anyone really think the Big12 or Big10 or SEC represent significant challenges? Maryland and Iowa are sort of in the top ten by default, as any Big12 team other than Baylor is in the top 25 and any SEC team other than MsSt in the top 25. The only P5s serious competition are the Pac12 and ACC and I suspect the Pac12 might be a little illusory.

Considering how UConn trailed Oklahoma by double digits in the 2nd half, and struggled to put away Cal and St. John's ... this is one year I might hesitate to badmouth other conferences.

 

[uconnfan68]

Not surprised by O's loss. Here's why:

What I liked, and really missed, was Gabby winning those opening jump balls.

 

[LoTrader]

Remember Oregon lost one of their best players to a 2nd quarter injury and were playing on road to packed house. They will still be No. 1 in Portland.

No where else to post this, but this is Kara Lawson's tweet from last night at OSU:


@karalawson20
Best environment our crew has been in all season!
@beaverwbb
was terrific. Gill, you stole my ❤️! If you’re a fan of hoop, you HAVE to check out that place! I’ll be back next year

 

[LoTrader]

2018-19 Women's College Basketball Rankings for Week 16 | ESPN

1. Baylor
2. UConn
3. Oregon
4/5. Louisville
4/5. Notre Dame
6. Miss. State

I see the coaches poll has 4 x ACC, 4 x PAC-12, 2 x SEC, 2 x BIG10, 1 x BIG12, + UCONN/Marquette/Gonzaga in the top 16. This is the 1st TOP16 I have seen anywhere that makes sense during the course of this season. I realize change will happen as the remainder of the season plays out, but coaches got it right this week.

 

[oldude]

No where else to post this, but this is Kara Lawson's tweet from last night at OSU:


@karalawson20
Best environment our crew has been in all season!
@beaverwbb
was terrific. Gill, you stole my ❤️! If you’re a fan of hoop, you HAVE to check out that place! I’ll be back next year

There’s nothing like the energy of a packed house on campus vs a traditional rival. It’s one of the reasons why I really like UConn to play their biggest games on campus at Storrs rather than at the XL Center in Hartford. But alas, UConn gets a better payout in Hartford.

 

[LoTrader]

Tweet from Kelsey Plum after the OSU vs UO Game:



Kelsey Plum

✔@Kelseyplum10
https://twitter.com/Kelseyplum10/status/1097745776640446464

Oregon St, always hardest team for me to score against personally.... run you off the 3 pt line, protect the Rim, no transition and don’t foul, make you beat them with mid range 2s... very tough to beat. COACH SCOTT is an OG, congrats on the Dub

1,142
10:32 PM - Feb 18, 2019

 

[Los24]

#2 overall means no Baylor until the Championship game. Hopefully, it puts Notre Dame on the other side as well, as #4 or #5. Goodness, IMO

However, those two losses to Louisville and Baylor, regardless of where played, are disturbing. We are inclined to see anomalies in games we lose, while ignoring them same in games we win (CW vs. ND, and CD vs. Baylor 2 years ago) the coaching staff was unable to make corrections, and the team was unable to rise to the occasion. We are attaching our hopes to favorable locations (Albany) and matchups. I'm still not optimistic.

And all the other teams have lost and can make the same comment. Didn't #1 Baylor lose to a Stanford team that was blown out by Oregon recently? Louisville lost to a ND we beat and now lost to non-top 10 ranked team? Oregon just lost to Oregon St.... Lots of holes and concerns by all teams.

 

[tomcat]

As I noted earlier:

Beware ND:

They still have all the horses.

MSF

Could not agree more. In the real world, I see Baylor as top gun and ND as the second threat to UConn. I don;'t see them losing to Louisville again. I don't think the players will let that happen, as a matter of pride. Against Oregon, it will depend on which Oregon and which UConn show up, but I'd take UConn 7 out of 10 times.
Bottom line: I really really don't want to see UConn matched against Baylor again.

 

[Kevin G]

This is a tough one. UCONN's SOS from this point on is nothing to brag about (sorry AAC). I expect UCONN to win the rest of their games until the tourney. So does their SOS hurt them when it comes to seeding? Yes, I believe it will. UCONN will be a #1 seed but which ranking among the #1s do they fall in to?!
I hope the AAC does start to come around and other teams start to gain Top 25 status. I love watching our team but miss seeing top 25 matchups on a consistent basis.

 

[Carnac]

Looking at the current Coaches poll, You don't drop very far down when you lose, even to an unranked team.

 

[Kevin G]

#1 Girl in the Country Megan Walker Drops an Easy 30 in Only 3 Quarters!
I don’t see this same confidence and some of the plays she made in this video. While this is high school and you can’t compare the two, surely if you did it in high school, you can do it two years older. She just plays timid at times to me, that’s all I’m saying. Can’t wait for her to break out the shell.

100% agree!!!! It looks like she has been broken down and has yet to climb her way out of it. I hardly ever see her smiling on the court.

 

[Carnac]

Could not agree more. In the real world, I see Baylor as top gun and ND as the second threat to UConn. I don;'t see them losing to Louisville again. I don't think the players will let that happen, as a matter of pride. Against Oregon, it will depend on which Oregon and which UConn show up, but I'd take UConn 7 out of 10 times.
Bottom line: I really really don't want to see UConn matched against Baylor again.

tomcat, I said the exact same thing (post #9) BEFORE I read this post.