Main goals for the year

[Alydar]

You are right about the backcourt but I was writing about the front court which has been a point of worry since El Alfy was injured. I'm not sure why a freshman with zero experience was expected to be so important while Brady, who is much more suited to playing inside, has been an afterthought. I think some fans look at a player is and rate their potential on how tall they are. Some "experts" too.
Watch what the ESPN braintrust says in their preseason forecasts. Del Rosario and Betts will be keys for their teams' success while Brady will be an "untested freshman". Players coming off injury? A huge question mark for Brady and Bueckers but the return of Miles WILL make NDame a contender for the title. That's ESPN for sure.

 

[BBallF]

I like the analysis of goals. A #1 seed could make a significant difference.

Unlike others in this thread, I don’t believe LSU will be in the NC game. I’m not even sure they’ll make it to the final four. I don’t think they’ll even win the SEC. Last year, they were eminently beatable, as the Utah game amply showed. They also got a few lucky breaks and dodged SC among others. I’m not convinced they will be a better team this year despite the transfers.

There are other more impressive rivals we’ll have to contend with: Utah, IU, SC, ND, Texas, Tennessee, VPI, heck even UCLA.

LSU is too loaded and has too good a coach not to get there. They also have the great player who can take over a game and who is very difficult to stop in the NCAA especially for teams that haven't played against her during the year. Say what you want about Mulkey, you have to respect her coaching prowess and considerable achievements. I would be shocked but also delighted if they did not get to the FF.

 

[Cuango]

Not saying it’s definitively true but I think there is a case to be made that Reese is a monster against overmatched players she can physically dominate but is not so good against size and equal talent. No argument from me that they, along with South Carolina are the the gatekeepers everyone will have to go through on their way to a NC but I don’t see either as being without weaknesses that the right team and game plan can exploit.

 

[Bone Dog]

LSU is too loaded and has too good a coach not to get there. They also have the great player who can take over a game and who is very difficult to stop in the NCAA especially for teams that haven't played against her during the year. Say what you want about Mulkey, you have to respect her coaching prowess and considerable achievements. I would be shocked but also delighted if they did not get to the FF.

They are loaded, though they may not be very well balanced, so to speak. I also respect Kim's ability to pull a team together. As she says, "I'm not afraid of personalities." That's what the creampuff schedule is for, to get them to hang together while they stomp cupcakes together. If they have to endure too much adversity -- i.e. playing against real opponents -- early on, that elusive chemistry would likely fizzle. This is why I don't object to Kim's scheduling choices.

What I object to is the way the NET rewards this and the selection committee fails to compensate for it. Yes, she will probably have got her stars pulling together by March. But if she's picked up 4-5 losses in conference by then, the NET ought to reflect this and not let it be overshadowed by other factors like margin of victory over cupcakes. If LSU has 4 losses by March with that schedule, they don't deserve a 1-seed or to host a regional. There needs to be a cost to scheduling like that, otherwise the committee is actually incentivizing it.

We like to joke about UConn being bad for WBB because of some stupid comment from decades ago. But rewarding cupcake schedules in March actually is bad for WBB.

 

[Alydar]

LSU is too loaded and has too good a coach not to get there. They also have the great player who can take over a game and who is very difficult to stop in the NCAA especially for teams that haven't played against her during the year. Say what you want about Mulkey, you have to respect her coaching prowess and considerable achievements. I would be shocked but also delighted if they did not get to the FF.

Not in 2013. That was a better team and they too were defending champs.

 

[MSGRET]

LSU is too loaded and has too good a coach not to get there. They also have the great player who can take over a game and who is very difficult to stop in the NCAA especially for teams that haven't played against her during the year. Say what you want about Mulkey, you have to respect her coaching prowess and considerable achievements. I would be shocked but also delighted if they did not get to the FF.

I'll respect her when she plays a non-conference that is in the top 75. They weren't even in the top 150 prior to league play.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

LSU is too loaded and has too good a coach not to get there. They also have the great player who can take over a game and who is very difficult to stop in the NCAA especially for teams that haven't played against her during the year. Say what you want about Mulkey, you have to respect her coaching prowess and considerable achievements. I would be shocked but also delighted if they did not get to the FF.

You may have the key to Kim's "Cream Puff" scheduling strategy: don't let the good teams play her team until it really is important, and they will have a hard time adjusting to the speed of the game.

That strategy is juxtaposed to Geno's motto of any team, any time any where, and may be the contrast that rules the year all the way to the Finals!

Can't wait for the season to begin, so we can see the Geno motto vs. Kim strategy play out....

Go Huskies!

 

[Bone Dog]

You may have the key to Kim's "Cream Puff" scheduling strategy: don't let the good teams play her team until it really is important… That strategy is juxtaposed to Geno's motto of any team, any time any where…

Very true. This exactly captures the difference. I think there’s a principle underlying it: Geno is primarily focused on building character, and he thinks champions come from this. Kim is focused on building winners and character is a secondary consideration.

Ironically, reporters like to say winning NCs is all that matters at UConn, probably because Geno’s won so many of them. But his motto, “any team any time anywhere,” reveals as clear as day that building character matters more.

 

[Tonyc]

UConn is way to talented to loose to any team that cant stop Paige Azzi and Aaliyah. These are 3 stars that you can count on when the goin gets tuff.. All this talk about the freshman on other teams. All freshman on every team will need to gain experience and will suffer from not having it against the elite teams.

I think we have learned after the past two years of injuries that players will need rest and cant go go go without it. This is a special team with alot of talent that needs playtime to develop. Amari Brady and Patterson have to get playtime to improve and be ready for the big games. Barring injuries UConn is gonna be very difficult to beat for any opponent even on a good day. I look forward to the Cayman Island Classic to see how good LSU is. I dont think they are any match for UConn. Remember this all season. No team has as many clutch players who can score in bunches like UConn. You can slow down a teams top player and make it difficult for them but its alot harder to stop 3 clutch players.

 

[BBallF]

You may have the key to Kim's "Cream Puff" scheduling strategy: don't let the good teams play her team until it really is important, and they will have a hard time adjusting to the speed of the game.

That strategy is juxtaposed to Geno's motto of any team, any time any where, and may be the contrast that rules the year all the way to the Finals!

Can't wait for the season to begin, so we can see the Geno motto vs. Kim strategy play out....

Go Huskies!

Also, when you have new players via the transfer portal, playing cupcakes makes the transition easier. Your offenses and defenses can get learned without real interruption. There is also less wear and tear and exposure to injury. It worked last year. LSU was the most energetic and healthy team in the FF and perhaps the tourney. We will see this year. We just need to stay healthy and we will win it. I will take a healthy Paige over a healthy Angel anyday and a healthy Azzi/ Nika over a healthy Haley with the same frequency.

 

[Bone Dog]

UConn is way to talented to loose to any team that cant stop Paige Azzi and Aaliyah. These are 3 stars that you can count on when the goin gets tuff.. All this talk about the freshman on other teams. All freshman on every team will need to gain experience and will suffer from not having it against the elite teams.

I think we have learned after the past two years of injuries that players will need rest and cant go go go without it. This is a special team with alot of talent that needs playtime to develop. Amari Brady and Patterson have to get playtime to improve and be ready for the big games. Barring injuries UConn is gonna be very difficult to beat for any opponent even on a good day. I look forward to the Cayman Island Classic to see how good LSU is. I dont think they are any match for UConn. Remember this all season. No team has as many clutch players who can score in bunches like UConn. You can slow down a teams top player and make it difficult for them but its alot harder to stop 3 clutch players.

I couldn't have said it better, @Tonyc. I'll jut add that Amari got some good playing time last season and acquitted herself well as a defender and rebounder. It's offense she needs to improve on. In the game against Iowa, she was instrumental in shutting down Czinano.