Jeff Jacobs: Mulkey guilty of underplaying game

[HuskyNan]

"I just don't want people to overemphasize it," Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said the other day of her No. 1 team's showdown against UConn on Monday night at the XL Center.

If Mulkey's mission is to keep the game in perspective, she is absolutely right. This one has nothing on world peace, the fight against hunger and the debate on gun control.

If her mission is to downplay the moment, downplay the impact of the game, render it meaningless in the scope of the women's basketball season, even build in a few excuses, may I make a few suggestions?

Baylor's Kim Mulkey Guilty Of Underplaying This One, Jeff Jacobs, Courant

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[VAMike23]

Geno said pretty much the same thing in one if Carl's articles today.

I understand what both of them are saying: they have goals each year of winning their conference and then, more importantly, winning in March.

But it's still BS because it overlooks what sports are all about. It's about preparing, competing and measuring yourself against the best. This non-conference game means "zero" on paper, but it's still huge, and not just for us fans. You think Maya doesn't still remember how it felt to lose at Maples? Or that Bria won't--for the rest of her career--remember hitting that late 3 to beat Baylor her freshman year? Meaningless non-conference games, both.

But only on paper.

 

[Biff]

Jeff Jacobs Guilty of overplaying Mulky underplaying game

 

[boontonbomber]

once again, jacobs shows why he's the best, by a lot, of the sportswriters at the courant. mulkey's statement, that this is the least important of their remaining 4 games, is beyond ridiculous. sounds like she's got money on uconn.

 

[FairView]

once again, jacobs shows why he's the best, by a lot, of the sportswriters at the courant. mulkey's statement, that this is the least important of their remaining 4 games, is beyond ridiculous. sounds like she's got money on uconn.

It is ridiculous. It's ludicrous. It even makes her look a bit foolish. But I don't think it merits an entire column the Courant's "best" sportswriter.

 

[wire chief]

Much ado about nothing. Mulkey is quoted; nothing weird. As things stand, the game is more important to UConn for confidence reasons. Mulkey knows what her team can do. We still are not sure.

 

[blackbird]

This game is plenty important. If Baylor wins, they get the #1 overall seed. If Uconn wins, and then wins out, they get the overall #1. If they lose again to ND, it's likely ND gets the overall #1 seed.

And that's important. Because it's essentially a 3 team race to the championship.

 

[GrizBear]

This game is plenty important. If Baylor wins, they get the #1 overall seed. If Uconn wins, and then wins out, they get the overall #1. If they lose again to ND, it's likely ND gets the overall #1 seed.

And that's important. Because it's essentially a 3 team race to the championship.

. . . and then the NCAA renders the #1 overall seed meaningless by regionalizing the brackets.

 

[Icebear]

. . . and then the NCAA renders the #1 overall seed meaningless by regionalizing the brackets.

Exactly.

 

[JoePgh]

This game is important for reasons that have nothing to do with self-confidence, self-measurement, or publicity for the sport.

If UConn wins this game and also beats Notre Dame twice, UConn will have the overall top seed, which means (in all probability) that it will play Stanford in the National Semifinal game while Baylor and Notre Dame duke it out in the other semi (no pun intended). UConn will be able to win an NCAA Championship without having to beat both of those teams, which would be very difficult.

Under any other scenario (i.e., if UConn loses any or all of these three games), it is nearly inevitable that UConn and Notre Dame will meet in the National Semifinals for the third consecutive year. And we know how the first two came out.