It will be UConn-Villanova

[HopJim]

Who would want to go against UConn's defense? Hopefully for Villanova, they don't get to watch the replays. Good team, but UConn is locked in.

 

[hoopsfan22]

No way Clark can not be, I wonder if somehow it could be a tie. have there ever been co=players of the year

Clark is the best player in the country. Don't think there is anyone close to her.

 

[wingsfan055]

Playing Villanova was the best outcome for UConn. They are much higher ranked and has more visibility with Maddy. A win over them carries more "weight".

 

[jfan]

Hopefully Villanova is tired, mentally and physically.

Villanova should be tired especially Maddie Siegrist playing all 40 minutes in Saturday and Sunday games.

 

[HuskyNan]

Maddie has played two tough 40 minute games in 2 days and will most likely play another 40 minutes tomorrow. If the Huskies can be physical with her, she might wear down as the game goes on.

 

[Bazz2014]

Defending Maddie is obviously the focus- but one of the best ways to minimize her touches is through aggressively defending nova’s guards. If we bring the same defensive intensity tomorrow that we brought today, Nova is going to have a really hard time getting the ball to her to begin with. Especially if their whole squad is fatigued- make it hell on earth for them to get into their sets. Nova looked gassed for good portions of the game against Creighton - if we jump right on them from the tip and compound that with pushing the tempo on offense, we have a good chance to jump ahead early and make them play catch-up the whole game.

It’s nice to finally feel like UConn is walking into a game more rested than their opponent!

 

[jaydee602]

Maddie will be hindered getting votes for Player of the Year because she plays in the Big East. This conference just doesn't get the respect it deserves.
Stanford & Indiana lose second round games & they stay as #1 seeds. If UCONN lost today, they might have been dropped to a #4 seed.

 

[Ron and Vida]

No way Clark can not be, I wonder if somehow it could be a tie. have there ever been co=players of the year

No need for co-players I’m pretty sure the Carolyn Peck and Charlie Crème of the world have already anointed Boston

 

[fomalhaut]

No way Clark can not be, I wonder if somehow it could be a tie. have there ever been co=players of the year

There are a number of Player of the Year awards. The most prestigious are the Naismith and Wooden Awards, and the Wade Trophy (sometimes thought the best, but spoiled two years ago when Paige Bueckers was ineligible because she was a freshman). It is not
uncommon for the awards to go to different players. There are also POY awards from the Associated Press and the Basketball Writers Association, and I think ESPN has one too.

 

[hookshot]

No need for co-players I’m pretty sure the Carolyn Peck and Charlie Crème of the world have already anointed Boston

Zero chance for Boston this year

 

[uconnfan68]

Zero chance for Boston this year

And really strong probability that the team she’s on will win. Mostly because of her. Cardoso is a unique and difficult matchup, but Boston is even tougher.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

IMHO Clark will be the POY with Siegrist 2nd & Boston 3rd!

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

The present UCONN team will only get better and better every day!
They present challenges no other team has available!
Even SoCar pales in the weapons they have compared to our Huskies!
Just keep all 10 healthy!

 

[SEbluebood]

The present UCONN team will only get better and better every day!
They present challenges no other team has available!
Even SoCar pales in the weapons they have compared to our Huskies!
Just keep all 10 healthy!

Talk about going overboard! SC is undefeated. Has won 36 games in a row as a program. Is bigger and more athletic than UConn. Is devastating on the boards. Has incredible depth and a great coach! Has AA player and previous player of year. They are the only guaranteed lock to be a 1 seed. I am a UConn fan , but to say that SC pales in comparison to our team is just flat out silly! If you want your team to get respect, you need to give others respect.

 

[oldhusky]

The difference is UCONN makes Maddie play end to end, nonstop defense. She seemed to tire in the last meeting & this will be her third game in three days.
Plus, if UCONN lets Maddie get her 25 points, they will stifle the other vilanova scorers.

In addition beyond the fact that this is her third game in three days, and each of the first two went down to the wire, I think Siegrist played all 40 minutes in both games. Now Villanova did use their bench quite a bit to rest the other players, but not Siegrist.

 

[GoUconn7961]

Tired or not everyone gets up for a big game.

Hopefully Villanova is tired, mentally and physically.

 

[GoUconn7961]

Talk about going overboard! SC is undefeated. Has won 36 games in a row as a program. Is bigger and more athletic than UConn. Is devastating on the boards. Has incredible depth and a great coach! Has AA player and previous player of year. They are the only guaranteed lock to be a 1 seed. I am a UConn fan , but to say that SC pales in comparison to our team is just flat out silly! If you want your team to get respect, you need to give others respect.

Agree. SC has a lot of ways to win. UConn is just starting to get their groove back.

 

[Cornell Lt]

First two matchups with Villanova this season:

1/29 - Maddy Siegrist - 9/23 for 25 pts (25 of teams 58 pts)
2/18 - Maddy Siegrist - 8/21 for 21 pts (21 of teams 51 pts)

UConn just has to execute the same game plan tonight - play Maddy tough and hold her to her average and don't let the role players go off.

 

[wingsfan055]

IMHO Clark will be the POY with Siegrist 2nd & Boston 3rd!

Brink deserves some votes. She's elevated her game this year - the only one on Stanford to do so.

 

[wingsfan055]

The present UCONN team will only get better and better every day!
They present challenges no other team has available!
Even SoCar pales in the weapons they have compared to our Huskies!
Just keep all 10 healthy!

SC plays a style of game that is very hard to beat, especially late in the Tourney when everyone is fatigued. As Geno said, to win a NC some luck is involved and needed.

 

[Jokerman619]

That call at the end was ridiculous. I understand the need to protect players, but common sense has to come in play. Everyone was going for the rebound and there was nothing flagrant or intentional on Dalce's part.

I doubt she will be first-team AA, but Maddie Siegrist deserves to be on it. Well, Villanova gets their wish to play for the championship, but they are running into a once dormant, now fully alive behemoth. Hopefully, Nova gets a good seeding in the tourney as Big East runner-up.

You are so right

 

[CL82]

 

[Jokerman619]

Might have been different if Azzi never got hurt. She was putting up Maddie numbers and more. And if Paige was playing, definitely would have put her to a test.

 

[Littlemin]

Might have been different if Azzi never got hurt. She was putting up Maddie numbers and more. And if Paige was playing, definitely would have put her to a test.

So more Fudd and Bueckers conjecture prefaced with “might“ and “if”. Nothing to do with those players, I feel for both of them, but man, Siegrist was hands down the best player in the BE this year; there is not even an argument to be made for anyone else. Especially not for a player out for the season and one who has sat twice for extended periods.

 

[Zarathustra]

Talk about going overboard! SC is undefeated. Has won 36 games in a row as a program. Is bigger and more athletic than UConn. Is devastating on the boards. Has incredible depth and a great coach! Has AA player and previous player of year. They are the only guaranteed lock to be a 1 seed. I am a UConn fan , but to say that SC pales in comparison to our team is just flat out silly! If you want your team to get respect, you need to give others respect.

I agree with the " respect" comment. However, the "proof" of the pudding will be
the result(s) of the head to head games. Looking forward to more madness in MARCH!