Lin Dunn: UConn Bad for the Game

[cardfan]

You cared enough to reply.

"After watching that horrible display of basketball in Texas, I don't blame you for losing interest."

No sarcasm there. Just facts about the game.

Stanford shot 32.3%, 26.1% on 3's and 15-25 on FT's.
Texas shot 26.2%, 25% on 3's and 18-24 on FT's.
49 FT's taken. 45 personal fouls.

A horrible display of basketball. I didn't know you didn't see it. If you are bored to death with the game now I would suggest you don't watch the game.

Young is relative. Stanford starts 2 seniors and a junior every game with a junior and a senior in the regular rotation off the bench. Along with at this time two freshman starters and two freshman off the bench. Lots of youth but plenty of experience.

They certainly are hurting with injuries, but I think the Kokenis excuse has reached it's statute of limitations.

One AA? I'd like to introduce you to Taurasi's junior season.

Again, I'm not bored with Stanford. I'm bored with not enough parity in the game. I will watch the later tonight. I smart enough to know Nov bball is not pretty for the type of team we have now. I'm also smart enough to know they will be better in March, but still not talented enough to win a NC. Losing a pg is not an excuse. Also read the Q&A about recruiting at Stanford, then come back with another sarcastic response Yea, Taurasi is a guard. Same with Maya. When was the last time a team with one AA "post" won a NC?

 

[doggydaddy]

Again, I'm not bored with Stanford. I'm bored with not enough parity in the game. I will watch the later tonight. I smart enough to know Nov bball is not pretty for the type of team we have now. I'm also smart enough to know they will be better in March, but still not talented enough to win a NC. Losing a pg is not an excuse. Also read the Q&A about recruiting at Stanford, then come back with another sarcastic response Yea, Taurasi is a guard. Same with Maya. When was the last time a team with one AA "post" won a NC?

Wow...dissing Chiney? Not nice.

You sure are smart. You told me so.

 

[JellyBean]

So pretty much what Linn was saying was, we need to lower our standards at UConn so that others can catch up, if they can. Give me a break! Like somebody already stated, nobody had a problem with the Lady Vols running things and being dominate. Nobody told Pat to lower her standards Tennessee

 

[hoophuskee]

IMO Lin Dunn way off base teetering on anti-UCONN bias. Last year there were 4 teams apparently that could win. Our latest games vs Md and Penn State we're hardly annihilations.

 

[hoophuskee]

I did.

1--- I wished I could have seen more of the UCLA dynasty. Dynasties are a measurement to strive for.
2--- Were you bored last year too? If not, why not?
3--- Did you watch UCONN vs. Penn State?
4--- And you were also bored with UCONN vs Tenn being so dominant back in the day?
5--- What about with Parker at Tenn wer you also bored with Tenn dominance with her as well?

 

[UConnCat]

Lin could have easily made the same point about a top 5 team vs. an unranked team, or any ranked team ranked vs UConn. There simply are not enough top women bball players spread around for any parity.

Women's college soccer and vball have experienced the same thing, the top teams just reload, with a rare year when a power team wins. UConn has riches of talented players beyond any team this year and probably the next 2-3 years. As a fan of the game, and someone who played and coached, I am BORED to death with the game now. I love watching good bball, and I love and support what Stanford has accomplished over the years, but my interest in the game is at an all time low.

I don't understand this. UConn has 9 scholarship players right now and 2 of them are injured. That's 9 players covering 4 classes. I understand that 2 players -- KML and Stewart -- were #1 in their respective classes (though for KML perhaps not unanimously), but that leaves a whole bunch of highly ranked players playing somewhere. It's up to other coaches to develop their talent and improve their level of play.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

I don't understand this. UConn has 9 scholarship players right now and 2 of them are injured. That's 9 players covering 4 classes. I understand that 2 players -- KML and Stewart -- were #1 in their respective classes (though for KML perhaps not unanimously), but that leaves a whole bunch of highly ranked players playing somewhere. It's up to other coaches to develop their talent and improve their level of play.

That's the whole point, the other schools have not stepped up. Except it isn't that easy. Besides the fact that Geno is an exceptional coach (and there are not that many of them out there) there is a major difference between playing a team with 2 or even 3 really good players (and that is rare) vs. a team where all 5 are remarkably talented AND remarkable well coached. Hence UConn's continued dominance.

Like I said in an earlier post, my experience has suggested that any team's significant dominance will attract casual fans to the sport and to that program, however, it frustrates and does not develop fans of other teams, which, IMHO would be a desirable goal.
And yes, although I liked Tennessee, I also felt the seasons where they were untouchable were not good for the fans of other teams, or developing fans of other teams.

 

[Scotter]

And yes, although I liked Tennessee, I also felt the seasons where they were untouchable were not good for the fans of other teams, or developing fans of other teams.

Teams building a fanbase has very little to do with whether a team can win a national championship. Look around WCBB and most of the programs with the largest fanbases aren't even Final Four contenders. It is marketing. And it is recruiting players that people want to watch. And it is playing a style that people want to watch. It has to happen at the grass roots level.

 

[EricLA]

Again, I'm not bored with Stanford. I'm bored with not enough parity in the game.

Makes no sense. UCONN won the NC last year, a season where Baylor was supposed to two-peat. But due to parity, Baylor was knocked out by L'ville. Teams like Cal and L'ville made it the final 4. ND has been a fixture in the FF for several years now.

In the past 5 years, no less than 8 teams have made it to the final 4 (UCONN, L'ville, Stanford, Oklahoma, aTm, ND, Baylor and Cal). UCONN has won 3, aTm once, and Baylor once. In the 5 years preceding, 10 teams made the final 4 (UNC, LSU, Tennessee, Michigan State, Stanford, Rutgers, UCONN, Minnesota, Maryland and Duke, with UCONN winning 1, Tennessee 2, and Baylor/Maryland 1 each.

So in the past 10 years, UCONN has won 4 NC's, Tennessee and Baylor 2, Maryland and aTm 1 each. I hardly would call the above lack of parity. Lots of teams making the final 4.

However, UCONN clearly has dominated the sport for the past 14 years winning 7 of the total NC's. During that span we saw UCONN surpass UCLA's 88 game win streak. That was great for the game. WCBB never had so much publicity. I would take the opposite approach - dynasties are great for the game and UCONN is anything but boring. AND they play the most pleasing style of basketball to watch in the entire nation.

 

[UConnCat]

Lin Dunn keeps it going:

Lin Dunn ‏@coachlindunn 23 Nov
@RebeccaLobo @debbieantonelli @CAROLYNPECK another rout by Connecticut! Is this good for our game?

Debbie Antonelli responds:

Debbie Antonelli ‏@debbieantonelli 23 Nov
@coachlindunn @RebeccaLobo @CAROLYNPECK uconn plays w/ discipline, game plan, talent, coaching adjustments. Yes, that's good for gm! Clinic!

And Dunn:

Lin Dunn ‏@coachlindunn 23 Nov
@debbieantonelli @RebeccaLobo as a fan of our game ,,, I want to watch a closely contested game! Not a 30--50 pt blowout! Don't you!.

Why is dunn singling out UConn? It's not the only team that wins by blowouts. Tenn won by 34, UNC won by 40.

 

[Adesmar123]

And just who is the "our" in our game? Are those code words?

 

[msf22b]

The NCAA could institute a system in which top-ten teams are required to play each other exclusively in OO conference.
so add ND, UTenn and the others.
or
Geno could just organize it by himself.

I know we played 3 top 10's a week ago.
But this week is pretty lame (from a competition point of you, not beautiful BB).

Might not change much Liz.
Was anything of this kind discusses at the conference this summer?

 

[pinotbear]

maybe I missed it, but did Lin Dunn offer any sort of solution to this perceived problem? Or did she just complain, without any follow-through?

 

[hoophuskee]

Problem with people like Lin Dunn is they have a combiantion of anti-UCONN bias, and as long as it doesn't affect them they are willing to accept mediocrity as long as teh score is close. So a close game means "it is all right?"

Ridiculous.

Anyhow, for years and years the top teams in WCBB rout lower conferences. Amazing that this University of Tennessee Martin gradaute is specifically mentioning UCONN and nothing said before in other years. I'm shocked. NOT!

 

[hoophuskee]

The NCAA could institute a system in which top-ten teams are required to play each other exclusively in OO conference.
so add ND, UTenn and the others.
or
Geno could just organize it by himself.

I know we played 3 top 10's a week ago.
But this week is pretty lame (from a competition point of you, not beautiful BB).

Might not change much Liz.
Was anything of this kind discusses at the conference this summer?

I thought UCONN played beautiful basketball.

In addition, so kids from smaller conferences don't get opportunites to play against the giants? We don't care about them because it doesn't give us the fix we want for an entire season?

 

[Icebear]

So now Lin Dunn keeps it going. We've heard the same thing before during the long winning streaks. Geno called it out for what it was. No, Lin I don't want crap basketball so you can have close games. Crap is crap and it just stinks and folks will walk away in droves.

 

[msf22b]

I thought UCONN played beautiful basketball.

In addition, so kids from smaller conferences don't get opportunites to play against the giants? We don't care about them because it doesn't give us the fix we want for an entire season?

Sorry to be unclear….yes, UConn plays beautiful BB, the most elegant imaginable.

But your second point…for the good of the game…play as many (potentially) competitive games as required to further the sport.
The smaller conferences can wait.

 

[phil sampieri]

So pretty much what Linn was saying was, we need to lower our standards at UConn so that others can catch up, if they can. Give me a break! Like somebody already stated, nobody had a problem with the Lady Vols running things and being dominate. Nobody told Pat to lower her standards Tennessee

Did it ever occur to Lin that some of the so-called competitive teams don't want to get there backsides beat by UC

 

[Ctpaul0825]

Been following Ms. Dunn's tweets and who she follows. I'm guessing that it's probably that UCONN's coach is male that bothers her most. That is just my humble opinion and as a gay male I'm basing this on my radar .

 

[Striper69]

I guess Dunn clarified. We all know her clarification is more or less accurate. There are two major differences between UConn and everybody else that she should account for - Geno as coach and the fact that he built on his original success like nobody else once UConn became UT's prime challenger. There have been a bunch of one hit wonders, like Purdue, A&M etc. Notre Dame has one NC and a very good program, but even that one NC came in a year when UConn was weakened by injury, as has been the case in a few other years where UConn was very strong and didn't win the whole thing. Baylor is a multiple winner, but it's a fair question to ask why they only did it once with Griner. Dunn needs to figure out why Geno was able to build and become the best and none of the others built so well on success. The talent pool is plenty deep these days even though UConn has a lot of great ones. UT still gets it share of AA's as does Duke and some others. There's no question most schools don't take women's hoops that seriously, but in fairness, I doubt UConn would have been much different absent Geno. The coaching talent pool seems pretty shallow and, as I've said before, how long does anyone think a major men's basketball program would keep coaches like Landers and Perreta nearly as long as they've been at their schools? The attitude, for better or worse, is different.

Are the new rules that concern hand-checking the "Griner Effect"? Since Louisville beat Baylor the way they did.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Are the new rules that concern hand-checking the "Griner Effect"? Since Louisville beat Baylor the way they did.

You mean by shooting 64% from 3-point land against the #1 team? Yeah, you're not supposed to do that any more because it hurts their feelings, and I'm thinking it will not be happening this year with UConn in that position.

And yes, Dunn has now become a quacking caricature of the disgruntled apologists for the parody lovers now that UConn is back on top. If the Huskies had won the last 5 NCs maybe you could understand, but with three different winners the last three years, she has entered absurdia, and the comment about not liking a UConn blowout after all the stuff that happens every week in basketball and football shows that she has become unhinged.

 

[Adesmar123]

Is it possible that Lin Dunn is bad for "our" game?

 

[UConnCat]

Because she hasn't asked the question enough times, Lin Dunn repeated it on twitter this morning, leaving out the reference to UConn:

Lin Dunn ‏@coachlindunn 2h
Are routs in WBBall good for our game?

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Because she hasn't asked the question enough times, Lin Dunn repeated it on twitter this morning, leaving out the reference to UConn:

Lin Dunn ‏@coachlindunn 2h
Are routs in WBBall good for our game?

Lin Dunn may be right in one respect - routs between teams ranked in the top five or top ten are not good for the game. This is why the Duke-UConn matchups have been so disheartening.

But on what planet is this the fault of UConn, either the players or the coaching staff? It is the fault of every other coach in the country who has not strived to get better in terms of Xs and Os or put more time into film watching and strategizing to play UConn?

Why have coaches not followed the lead of Muffet McGraw? She has some talented players, but has not had consistent top-three classes every year. But she studies Geno's tendencies as a coach and works to counter them and to anticipate his counter moves and adjustments.

But phrasing it the way Lin Dunn did seems to put the blame on UConn. Blaming UConn is like blaming Serena Williams for her dominance. Instead of worrying weather it is good or bad for the game, lets just focus on the amazing talent and coaching on display and wonder when other coaches/players will raise their own games in response.

 

[BRS24]

But on what planet is this the fault of UConn, either the players or the coaching staff? It is the fault of every other coach in the country who has not strived to get better in terms of Xs and Os or put more time into film watching and strategizing to play UConn?

But phrasing it the way Lin Dunn did seems to put the blame on UConn. Blaming UConn is like blaming Serena Williams for her dominance. Instead of worrying weather it is good or bad for the game, lets just focus on the amazing talent and coaching on display and wonder when other coaches/players will raise their own games in response.

Geno was quoted on this topic years ago and posed the question back (if memory serves) on why more ADs weren't demanding better results, beyond the wins and losses.