It's supposed to be difficult.

[RedStickHusky]

1 seed: 16, 8, 4, 2, 1, 1
2 seed: 15, 7, 3, 1, 1,1
3 seed: 14, 6, 2, 1, 1, 1
4 seed: 13, 5, 1, 1, 1, 1

It's tough for everybody. By design. All this arguing about what we deserve "because we're UConn" sounds like trying to dodge a matchup we don't like or thinking we're entitled to a home game in the E8 because, well, because we're UConn. Neither is a good look. We could end up as the #2 in Bridgeport but, I think, only if someone drops behind us. Either way, bring it on.

 

[my2cents]

If we are #3 Seed, the only whining you will hear will be from the coaches of the #1 and #2 seeds in our region.

 

[hoophuskee]

1 seed: 16, 8, 4, 2, 1, 1
2 seed: 15, 7, 3, 1, 1,1
3 seed: 14, 6, 2, 1, 1, 1
4 seed: 13, 5, 1, 1, 1, 1

It's tough for everybody. By design. All this arguing about what we deserve "because we're UConn" sounds like trying to dodge a matchup we don't like or thinking we're entitled to a home game in the E8 because, well, because we're UConn. Neither is a good look. We could end up as the #2 in Bridgeport but, I think, only if someone drops behind us. Either way, bring it on.

I don't think it's dodging at all. It's recognizing that it's silly to be in the same bracket if it can be avoided if ICONN remains on it's current path. It's not all about UCONN. It's silly for SC vs UCONN before FF at the moment.

 

[HuskyNan]

I don't think it's dodging at all. It's recognizing that it's silly to be in the same bracket if it can be avoided if ICONN remains on it's current path. It's not all about UCONN. It's silly for SC vs UCONN before FF at the moment.

I think this year, people are expecting a South Carolina-Stanford final and are setting up the brackets that way. If UConn wins the championship, its going to have to earn it and that may mean going through South Carolina in the regionals.

Not everything is about UConn, nor should it be.

 

[cohenzone]

I think this year, people are expecting a South Carolina-Stanford final and are setting up the brackets that way. If UConn wins the championship, its going to have to earn it and that may mean going through South Carolina in the regionals.

Not everything is about UConn, nor should it be.

That’s true. On the other hand, if you are SC or any other 1 seed and might have to play this UConn team as opposed to the end of January or early February UConn team before the FF, you probably aren’t that happy with the committee.

 

[diggerfoot]

As mentioned elsewhere, I suspect SC would rather play us in front of a home crowd than in Minnesota so let’s be honest, our angst is over the problem presented to UConn, not how upset SC should be.

Had we failed to make the Final Four last year, I would not care about this year’s seedings at all. In the goal for an NC it does not matter who you play when, as long as you beat them. But in the quest to extend the FF streak seedings do matter. We have a higher probability of extending the streak if we do not play SC in the regionals. Fwiw I actually think we have a good chance of beating them now but, for the sake of probabilities, I prefer they do not stand between us and the Final Four.

I know the streak is probably untouchable at this point and extending it is relatively meaningless at this point, I won’t shed a tear when it ends, but as a fan I hope it goes on forever.

 

[PacoSwede]

That’s true. On the other hand, if you are SC or any other 1 seed and might have to play this UConn team as opposed to the end of January or early February UConn team before the FF, you probably aren’t that happy with the committee.

tough! i bleed for 'em. boo hoo

 

[ClifSpliffy]

omg, there are sooo many freakin songs aboot seeds.
i like this one best. catchy, no?


hi, ho, the dairy-oh,
it don't matter where were seeded...'

 

[Cornell Lt]

At the top level of competition I don't think that any team is afraid of playing anyone. The narrative is purely a fanbase argument. If you're an elite team you will look forward to the difficult games, not be rooting to avoid certain teams.

If UConn is talented enough to win it all (which it is) , I could care less who they play or where they play.

 

[BRS24]

In the HC Geno dismissed the idea of fairness and said, wherever we need to go, we'll go, and do what we need to do. With all the prior injuries and issues, the team is probably closer than ever, and the "who's up next" attitude can be used on "where next." The coaches are probably hammering home that you have to get the job done no matter vs who and where.

 

[msf22b]

If UConn wins the championship, its going to have to earn it and that may mean going through South Carolina in the regionals.

Nan, At the end of the day
I just don't think they would do that to Dawn...
someone else, not them...
But it would be sweet!

 

[HuskyNan]

That’s true. On the other hand, if you are SC or any other 1 seed and might have to play this UConn team as opposed to the end of January or early February UConn team before the FF, you probably aren’t that happy with the committee.

If I’m Dawn, I respect UConn (and Stanford, NC State, Louisville, et al) but I’m not afraid of any of them. They’re the #1 team, UConn is #7 - for a reason. Who, exactly, has UConn beaten this year that makes them so fearsome?

The blue glasses need to come off. This year’s team is full of promise but unproven. The team has to walk the walk now, beating up Seton Hall and Marquette isn‘t going to make anyone afraid of the Huskies

 

[cohenzone]

If I’m Dawn, I respect UConn (and Stanford, NC State, Louisville, et al) but I’m not afraid of any of them. They’re the #1 team, UConn is #7 - for a reason. Who, exactly, has UConn beaten this year that makes them so fearsome?

The blue glasses need to come off. This year’s team is full of promise but unproven. The team has to walk the walk now, beating up Seton Hall and Marquette isn‘t going to make anyone afraid of the Huskies

Hmm. The “we” you are referring to isn’t exactly the “we” we are today. Just as Oregon wasn’t the several loss team they were before all their troops healed by the time we met them when we were half or less loaded. . Louisville struggled to beat UConn when UConn was half loaded. I can’t prove any of this, but aside from SC, I think we beat the other teams we lost to. Bottom line is, UConn presents a seeding problem that has nothing to do with my being a UConn fan and more to do with who they are now. You are free to wear whatever glasses suit you.

 

[RedStickHusky]

The fan base thinks they've turned a corner and "become UConn" and that's ok there's plenty of historical reasons for us to think that. We're still gonna have to club the rest of the country over the head before they believe it and that's ok too. We're going to be better than our seed but we will deserve it as well.

 

[cohenzone]

As mentioned elsewhere, I suspect SC would rather play us in front of a home crowd than in Minnesota so let’s be honest, our angst is over the problem presented to UConn, not how upset SC should be.

Had we failed to make the Final Four last year, I would not care about this year’s seedings at all. In the goal for an NC it does not matter who you play when, as long as you beat them. But in the quest to extend the FF streak seedings do matter. We have a higher probability of extending the streak if we do not play SC in the regionals. Fwiw I actually think we have a good chance of beating them now but, for the sake of probabilities, I prefer they do not stand between us and the Final Four.

I know the streak is probably untouchable at this point and extending it is relatively meaningless at this point, I won’t shed a tear when it ends, but as a fan I hope it goes on forever.

.I don’t think SC is upset by who they might have to play. UConn is a problem for the seeding committee plain and simple both as to where they fit ranking wise and where they are located attendance wise. No doubt being placed below a 2 seed makes UConn’s road somewhat more difficult in a year when they aren’t the favorite.

 

[MD#12Fan]

If I’m Dawn, I respect UConn (and Stanford, NC State, Louisville, et al) but I’m not afraid of any of them. They’re the #1 team, UConn is #7 - for a reason. Who, exactly, has UConn beaten this year that makes them so fearsome?

The blue glasses need to come off. This year’s team is full of promise but unproven. The team has to walk the walk now, beating up Seton Hall and Marquette isn‘t going to make anyone afraid of the Huskies

I think you've got it right. Not sure it's about fearing anyone, but more about fairness. As my friend, Maddog Russo likes to say, "I can't watch college basketball, regular season, because the games really do not mean anything for the top teams....." It's all about seeding and at the end of the day, how important is that really? You have to beat the best teams to win a NC.
I don't think kids are afraid of teams, they just like challenges.
Have you ever seen a lopsided tennis seeding, say, Serena's hurt all spring or off giving birth, and she comes back rather suddenly as an 18 seed or something. It doesn't matter much to Serena because she's just wants to win the trophy and she's going to beat everyone anyway. What about the hot young player that "unfairly" has to face her in the, say, 3rd round.
Last thing: in the name of fairness, not because UConn is the center of the universe, the committee has to take UConn's early season predicament into account when seeding. Arguably, SC doesn't "deserve" a UConn matchup as a regional final.

 

[Next 12]

I think this year, people are expecting a South Carolina-Stanford final and are setting up the brackets that way. If UConn wins the championship, its going to have to earn it and that may mean going through South Carolina in the regionals.

Not everything is about UConn, nor should it be.

This year the way we are playing I am not afraid of S.Carolina and I live there. In my opinion, we have come of age where we are the best team to win the NC. I have confidence in our team! GO HUSKIES!!!

 

[GoUconn7961]

Let the seeds fall where they may. No team is guaranteed a championship. The only plus to having UConn in Bridgeport are more butts in the seats.

If I remember correctly one UConn team won a championship after being a Number 2(?) seed out west.

 

[MD#12Fan]

1 seed: 16, 8, 4, 2, 1, 1
2 seed: 15, 7, 3, 1, 1,1
3 seed: 14, 6, 2, 1, 1, 1
4 seed: 13, 5, 1, 1, 1, 1

It's tough for everybody. By design. All this arguing about what we deserve "because we're UConn" sounds like trying to dodge a matchup we don't like or thinking we're entitled to a home game in the E8 because, well, because we're UConn. Neither is a good look. We could end up as the #2 in Bridgeport but, I think, only if someone drops behind us. Either way, bring it on.

Of course I agree with your entire point! I would only say, that the coin has two sides. What I mean is, UConn has a point of view and everyone else has a point of view. A team, any team, works all year for a spot in this tournament, that allows 64 entrants. Is that basically half of Div 1 that has women's teams? Then, the teams are "appropriately" placed into brackets.
Think "fairness" for all participants. That's how I argue that UConn should be a 1 or a 2, from the point of view of the other teams. For example, SC #1 basically all year, has UConn in a regional final. It'll be fun as heck, but IMO not fair to Dawn.

 

[schmendrick]

Not everything is about UConn, nor should it be.

On the Boneyard, however, everything is about UConn and, right now, many Boneyardarians are, quite understandably, excited about a team that is finally showing traces of its promise. So...

 

[HuskyNan]

Hmm. The “we” you are referring to isn’t exactly the “we” we are today. Just as Oregon wasn’t the several loss team they were before all their troops healed by the time we met them when we were half or less loaded. . Louisville struggled to beat UConn when UConn was half loaded. I can’t prove any of this, but aside from SC, I think we beat the other teams we lost to. Bottom line is, UConn presents a seeding problem that has nothing to do with my being a UConn fan and more to do with who they are now. You are free to wear whatever glasses suit you.

There is a saying in marketing that “perception is reality”. Other coaches & players, the selection committee, the media and everyone else has seen UConn beaten by two unranked teams and struggle to score against a bunch of Big East teams. This is what has been UConn’s story to date. Everyone knows about Paige but they see UConn loaded with top players like Christyn, Evina, Olivia, and the rest and they see these guys fail to put up points. Teams they should have smashed had a chance to win, something people aren’t used to seeing.

Sure, having Paige back can/will change things but all they’ve done so far is beat a couple of teams from the bottom of the Big East. This is the reality, as people see it. No one is going to make UConn a #1 or #2 seed just because they have the potential to beat South Carolina, something I personally feel is quite possible if the Huskies play their A game. But the committee and everyone else can only judge by what they’re seen and so far it’s been very good but not great.

 

[HuskyinWRNY]

Hmm. The “we” you are referring to isn’t exactly the “we” we are today. Just as Oregon wasn’t the several loss team they were before all their troops healed by the time we met them when we were half or less loaded. . Louisville struggled to beat UConn when UConn was half loaded. I can’t prove any of this, but aside from SC, I think we beat the other teams we lost to. Bottom line is, UConn presents a seeding problem that has nothing to do with my being a UConn fan and more to do with who they are now. You are free to wear whatever glasses suit you.

very true, but up to now the huskies havent beaten anyone really worth mentioning except tennessee. no one, regardless of the past injuries and who is healthy now, is going to be looking at uconn with a lot of trepidation. lets let them play and see whats what.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Of course I agree with your entire point! I would only say, that the coin has two sides. What I mean is, UConn has a point of view and everyone else has a point of view. A team, any team, works all year for a spot in this tournament, that allows 64 entrants. Is that basically half of Div 1 that has women's teams? Then, the teams are "appropriately" placed into brackets.
Think "fairness" for all participants. That's how I argue that UConn should be a 1 or a 2, from the point of view of the other teams. For example, SC #1 basically all year, has UConn in a regional final. It'll be fun as heck, but IMO not fair to Dawn.

I understand that argument but the only way the committee gets there is by throwing out their metrics and admitting that UConn is better than they've shown. If our season doesn't count, why should anyone else's?

 

[HuskyNan]

I do want to state for the record that I believe the Huskies can beat anyone in the tourney, including South Carolina and Stanford. I don’t care where they’re seeded, if they play to their potential, the Huskies can beat whoever is in their path. Heck, the UConn men won the championship as a #3 seed in 2011 and as a #7 seed in 2014. They didn’t care about their seed or where they were sent, they just played their game and won.

My points have been that UConn, which is quite special to us, should be just another team to the committee. No special treatment unless we’re willing for other teams to get the white glove treatment without complaint. If the criteria are such that UConn deserves a certain seed, one that another team would get under the exact same circumstances, then that’s the seed they should get. If Notre Dame got a higher seed because someone just recovered from an injury, this board would go ballistic. Why wouldn’t we hold our team to the same standard set for others?

 

[cohenzone]

very true, but up to now the huskies havent beaten anyone really worth mentioning except tennessee. no one, regardless of the past injuries and who is healthy now, is going to be looking at uconn with a lot of trepidation. lets let them play and see whats what.

A good team shouldn’t look at anyone with trepidation. But as a Yankees fan, I didn’t expect them to win last year but I guarantee you opposing teams and pitchers didn’t look at the Yankees the same when the following were all missing at the same time then all returned for seasons end. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton. Luke Voit and Gio Urshela plus a few starting pitchers who missed a chunk of the season.

It’s true the recent wins were against far lesser teams, but SC aside, outside of Louisville and maybe Oregon, I don’t believe GTech or Villanova among those who beat us would be close with 5 minutes left. Louisville beat us with a flurry in the last few minutes. Our D is looking much better. I think our biggest obstacle is against good teams that have top flight bigs. Our backcourt can play with anybody.