Karlie and Lou Want To Square Off in NCAAs

[RockyMTblue2]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/03/...ters-uconn-stanford-ncaa-tournament.html?_r=0

 

[j66kicker]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/03/...ters-uconn-stanford-ncaa-tournament.html?_r=0

Hope this happens!

 

[Aluminny69]

Remind me please, why did Stanford drop UConn from its regular season schedule, and will the series resume, and if so, when?

 

[2Husky]

That would be a good championship game

 

[JoePgh]

Remind me please, why did Stanford drop UConn from its regular season schedule, and will the series resume, and if so, when?

I don't think I ever heard Tara Vanderveer give an explanation. There has been third-party speculation that the recruitment of KML and KLS by UConn from her "home territory" has made her think twice about the wisdom of giving UConn a West Coast recruiting platform by playing them. And also speculation that the series won't resume until after Lou graduates -- that her turning Stanford down just stung too much. Or maybe she just doesn't want to play until she thinks she has a team that can compete -- I don't think she has thought that she had that ever since Chiney graduated.

 

[bags27]

Lou's right: her sister might well rain down defensive hell on her. But it would otherwise be a match UConn would not mind having....

 

[BroadwayVa]

That would be a good championship game

I would rather Uconn meet them in the NCAA next year -- 2 reasons: KLS and Karlie won't have to "square off and
Uconn can then feel fair in pounding them into the dust (in retaliation for NOT having home and home during KLS tenure in Uconn..

 

[Kaizen]

Look those two pretty sisters ...

 

[CBear01]

"Katie Lou says she dreams of the opportunity to play opposite Karlie on the N.C.A.A.’s biggest stage, but hopes that Stanford will assign someone else to guard her."

“She knows how to guard me better than anyone else probably,” Katie Lou said. “I can think about it now, but if it would happen it would be something else. Geez, that would just be crazy.”

You bet your bottom dollar TV is putting sister on sister! Why even consider anyone else?

Could be an amazing match up

 

[my2cents]

Would be tough on the parents to have to watch that game

 

[Carnac]

Be careful what you wish/ask for - Not that UConn would ever shy away from the challenge. But Stanford (25-5/15-3) has become somewhat of a "Giant-killer" lately. They upset #1 seed Notre Dame out of the tournament last year 90-84. They beat 2 top 10 teams this year in #8 Texas and #7 Washington.

Their 5 losses this year were to UCLA, Gonzaga, Tennessee & Oregon State twice. They are also the last team to beat UConn. I expect Stanford to go deep into the tournament this year. I don't expect them to win it all, but it would not surprise me to see them send some top seeds home before they bow out.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Be careful what you wish/ask for - Not that UConn would ever shy away from the challenge. But Stanford (25-5/15-3) has become somewhat of a "Giant-killer" lately. They upset #1 seed Notre Dame out of the tournament last year 90-84. They beat 2 top 10 teams this year in #8 Texas and #7 Washington.

Their 5 losses this year were to UCLA, Gonzaga, Tennessee & Oregon State twice. They are also the last team to beat UConn. I expect Stanford to go deep into the tournament this year. I don't expect them to win it all, but it would not surprise me to see them send some top seeds home before they bow out.

AGREED!!!

Personally--I watch a lot of PAC-12 basketball. I don't want any part of Stanford. They have a history of slaying dragons. Let them slay someone else---ND-South Carolina, etc.

 

[Husky pride]

Great article....but being an unapologetic "homer" would have liked more equal coverage....with a bit more written on Katie Lou!!

 

[EricLA]

I'd LOVE to see this matchup, and not only because it would be sister vs. sister. IIRC, Stanford starts Roberson, McPHee, Samuelson, Johnson, and McCall. At literally every position they compare unfavorably vs. UCONN.

1. Roberson vs. Chong
2. McPhee vs. Nurse
3. Samuelson vs. Samuelson
4. Johnson vs. Williams
5. McCall vs. Collier

I realize anything can happen in a game, but the fact that they beat us in the past has zero to do with how they would fare in the NCAA's. Would LOVE to see them as our 2 seed. Would much rather face them than FSU or Maryland. I don't see how Stanford would be able to keep the loss under 20 points... They are so offensively challenged at times against teams in their own conference that I can't see how they could score enough vs. UCONN's defense to challenge us...

 

[MilfordHusky]

Karlie is having a big game tonight.

I don't like the idea of Karlie guarding Lou.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I'd LOVE to see this matchup, and not only because it would be sister vs. sister. IIRC, Stanford starts Roberson, McPHee, Samuelson, Johnson, and McCall. At literally every position they compare unfavorably vs. UCONN.

1. Roberson vs. Chong
2. McPhee vs. Nurse
3. Samuelson vs. Samuelson
4. Johnson vs. Williams
5. McCall vs. Collier

I realize anything can happen in a game, but the fact that they beat us in the past has zero to do with how they would fare in the NCAA's. Would LOVE to see them as our 2 seed. Would much rather face them than FSU or Maryland. I don't see how Stanford would be able to keep the loss under 20 points... They are so offensively challenged at times against teams in their own conference that I can't see how they could score enough vs. UCONN's defense to challenge us...

I was concerned about FSU a while back, but not now. Tara is a top-3 coach, and Karlie might be able to neutralize Lou, which would be a problem. I like our interior match-ups. I think McPhee is pretty good. For me, Stanford is always a team to be wary of.

 

[Kaizen]

Karlie is 6/10 3 pts, and has 21 pts now.

 

[j66kicker]

Karlie is having a big game tonight.

I don't like the idea of Karlie guarding Lou.

I would LOVE to see that. Great drama! (for a change)

The poignancy of the sister-on-sister match-up. The apprehension after Lou says, "Karlie knows how to guard me better than anyone in the world." The aura of playing Stanford, the great UConn streak-stopper, for all the marbles. All the makings of a great NC game!

 

[rugbymate]

Having watched Stanford play several times , my sense is that this game will not be about Karlie vs Lou. . IMO, Stanford has no answer for either Gabby or Phee. It would be great to exorcise the Stanford demons.

 

[ochoopsfan]

I want no part of this match up. Who do I root for?

 

[chrissaran]

Stanford would no beat UConn. They would be playing the most complete team in UConn. No let up, not even for Karlie.

 

[HardHatGuy#2]

I'd LOVE to see this matchup, and not only because it would be sister vs. sister. IIRC, Stanford starts Roberson, McPHee, Samuelson, Johnson, and McCall. At literally every position they compare unfavorably vs. UCONN.

1. Roberson vs. Chong
2. McPhee vs. Nurse
3. Samuelson vs. Samuelson
4. Johnson vs. Williams
5. McCall vs. Collier

I realize anything can happen in a game, but the fact that they beat us in the past has zero to do with how they would fare in the NCAA's. Would LOVE to see them as our 2 seed. Would much rather face them than FSU or Maryland. I don't see how Stanford would be able to keep the loss under 20 points... They are so offensively challenged at times against teams in their own conference that I can't see how they could score enough vs. UCONN's defense to challenge us...

I'm with you on most of that, but you missed the most important piece; Tara. Not only is she a good coach, but she is a good game planner. I think this would be a UConn win, but not an easy one; Stanford is on the short list of teams that I would prefer that UConn avoid for the rest of this season.

Give a good coach an ace in the hole (Karlie to go box-and-one with Lou) and that is too much of an advantage for me to be comfortable with. During the season is one thing; when it is one-and-done, I want nothing to do with it.

 

[eebmg]

Normally I would say go for it regarding siblings but my feeling is that they are so close, it will really get in their heads and distort the game. Also, "on the biggest stage" to me would mean the FF and I do not think Lou would like knocking Karlie out of the tournament (especially earlier)

 

[Geew1992]

Having watched Stanford play several times , my sense is that this game will not be about Karlie vs Lou. . IMO, Stanford has no answer for either Gabby or Phee. It would be great to exorcise the Stanford demons.

Has anyone had an answer for Phee?

 

[JudgeSCR]

I'd LOVE to see this matchup, and not only because it would be sister vs. sister. IIRC, Stanford starts Roberson, McPHee, Samuelson, Johnson, and McCall. At literally every position they compare unfavorably vs. UCONN.

1. Roberson vs. Chong
2. McPhee vs. Nurse
3. Samuelson vs. Samuelson
4. Johnson vs. Williams
5. McCall vs. Collier

I realize anything can happen in a game, but the fact that they beat us in the past has zero to do with how they would fare in the NCAA's. Would LOVE to see them as our 2 seed. Would much rather face them than FSU or Maryland. I don't see how Stanford would be able to keep the loss under 20 points... They are so offensively challenged at times against teams in their own conference that I can't see how they could score enough vs. UCONN's defense to challenge us...

1. KLS has improved this year. She is not the same high school girl her big sister dominated. If KLS is taken out of the game by her sister (a good but not great college player) then she doesn't have the mental toughness I think she has ... and we should stop hawking her as an All-American.

2. The loss to Stanford two and a half years ago doesn't haunt me. Neither do the Notre Dame losses before that. That doesn't mean UConn can't lose, but it does mean that after 100 straight wins those ghosts have left the premises.

3. If we can't beat Stanford (or Baylor or Maryland or ...) then we are not the best team in the nation. If we are the best we shouldn't fear playing any team. Respect them? Yes. Recognize their strengths? Absolutely. Understand that if we don't play well we could lose? Sure. Hope we don't have to play them? Not us. Not the UConn women. They all should be praying they don't have to play us.

If we play our "A" game I don't think there is a team in the country that can beat us. If we don't things can get tricky. Until proven otherwise I believe that Geno and company will have them ready and they will perform in the next 9 games as they have during the season: with poise, grit and talent to match the occasion ... and all comers!