Maryland Punished?????

[Tonyc]

Well thinking back to all the talk about an easy schedule and MD avoiding many top teams OOC because they had so many freshman and they get a 3 seed and the UConn region. Some UConn fans think its unfair for UConn I dont. I feel the committee might have felt if MD had gone to another region they might have won but in CT the chance was slim.

Think about this. First MD has WVa and thats not a cake walk. Could be a tuff game for MD. WVa has been playing well and is hitting their outside shots which will make MD have to come out and guard them. Next MD has UConn if they win at UConn. In our only meeting with MD we were up 19 at MD when all the fouls were called on UConn making them defensless and UConn still won by 6. Point is with all the pressure on and our lead diminishing quickly we found a way to win and not loose. Thats huge in itself. Now with that said MD has WVa and UConn. Thats a tall task. NCAA sending a message regarding OOC tuffness.

For me the reward of playing MD after we have already played them and we were in foul trouble and Lou was sick in a bucket and we still won and we have played them and we know them. I dont would rather be playing a team we are familiar with then a good team we havent faced. Yeah some UConn fans are concerned but not as concerned as Brenda MD and their fans. Heck we're UConn.

With all the talk about how Uconn could be beaten brings only one thing to my mind. Not so much UConn getting in foul trouble but a game called close where fouls are called that only a blind man would call. If they let them play UConn wins it all. If the refs get involved we could have a rocky road. With that said we've been through it before and came out with a win so I wouldnt worry to much.

Bottom foul trouble reduces the effectiveness of our defense and we win with defense. I expect CD and Butler to see minutes to avoid Collier and Williams getting into foul trouble. Also keep in mind. We score alot of points and many teams in the tourney dont and wont against UConns defense. Hey Im not saying we cant lose but I dont think we will for quite some time.

 

[triaddukefan]

So u are saying that after Maryland wins vs WVU... They get a bye to the regional final? OK then

 

[JordyG]

So u are saying that after Maryland wins vs WVU... They get a bye to the regional final? OK then

The heck with that. First up, The Dukies vs Maryland. Bye bye Frese Fried, go Lexi.

 

[Ozimoto]

Don't know if they are being punished, per se. Maryland is a mystery team as they have been for years. They have stretches where they look unbeatable, but they have a problem playing a complete game for 40 minutes against tougher competition. They just don't live up to expectations. Something is missing and it is really frustrating. Maybe a lack of mental toughness? Having said that, I have Maryland making it to the elite eight where once again Geno and company will cause Brenda to have a melt down.

WVU will be a challenge for the Terrapins in the second round, but being a WVU fan for many years, I wouldn't be shocked if they lay and egg in the first round against Elon....

The Mountaineers are the type of team that gives Maryland trouble because they have learned how to play for 4o minutes and not fold when facing teams who, at least on paper, are more talented than they are. Their confidence has to be sky high after the Big 12 tournament. One important aspect of their run in the Big 12 tournament is that they were playing with nothing to lose so I don't think there was any pressure on them. No one expected them to beat Oklahoma, Texas, and Baylor after their less than stellar regular season. They may come into the NCAA's without that same loosey goosey mind set and that could have a detrimental effect on their performance.

In any case, if Maryland and WVU take care of business and meet in the round of 32 (and both teams should), I will be rooting for WVU and my daughter will be rooting for Maryland. And my wife and son will probably leave the house....

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

Maryland is not being "punished" although I'm sure they think so. The committee made it clear with all their early reveals that they were NOT going to be a 1 seed...or 2 seed. They got "rewarded" with the 3 seed, which, following the standard S curve puts them in the region with the #1 overall seed, i.e. UCONN. Coach Freese was clearly "upset" that they ended up as a 3 seed, maybe more so that they ended up in UCONN's region, but the message was sent by the committee all season. They have a big challenge, no doubt. Bucknell first... OK, that's a win. Then WVU...and IF they win that, it's either Duke or UCLA... and IF they win that, the "prize" is likely a rematch with UCONN in the Elite 8. BUT, it's not supposed to be easy!!! Prove You can win! and I don't buy the argument that they played UCONN and "only lost by 6", so that should get them better seeding... They were down by 19 (or so) half way through 4th quarter before some ticky tack, questionable fouls were called on Phe and Gabby...that helped them close the gap. in my opinion it was the BIGGEST 6 point loss of season....and MD had all the pieces lined up...foul trouble on UCONN bigs, sick (vice injured) Lou, and a BIG, LOUD Home Crowd at their house. They did not deliver the win, but it was all there for them. I don't see a rematch being closer than 10 point loss for MD...

 

[DefenseBB]

So u are saying that after Maryland wins vs WVU... They get a bye to the regional final? OK then

As I was reading the prior post, I was thinking "woe man, Triad is not going to be happy and nor should he be" as I am sooo rooting for Lexi to take it to the Terps and see how it goes.

 

[DefenseBB]

They have a big challenge, no doubt. Bucknell first... OK, that's a win. Then WVU...and IF they win that, it's either Duke or UCLA....

First, I agree with most of the post on the message per se', the committee has harped on SOS however where we diverge a bit is how MD fell to #9 overall and that committee did follow the S curve, with Duke being 8 as they had some better signature wins. The last point is UCLA is the #4 so they would Play UConn while MD gets Duke, the two winners play.

 

[1-of-the-6]

IMHO, Maryland is the second-best team in the country. Better than Baylor, ND, or SC. Not by much, and not on every night, but that's what I think. So, I believe that both UCONN and Maryland got screwed.

As for South Carolina, enough whining about travel. They're in the easiest regional, by far. Oregon State is the only competition, and if they can't handle them, SC doesn't belong in the Final Four.

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

First, I agree with most of the post on the message per se', the committee has harped on SOS however where we diverge a bit is how MD fell to #9 overall and that committee did follow the S curve, with Duke being 8 as they had some better signature wins. The last point is UCLA is the #4 so they would Play UConn while MD gets Duke, the two winners play.

ooopppppssss

 

[UcMiami]

Maryland and Syracuse both got slammed for their OOC - Syracuse played 5 teams with greater than a 250 RPI, and another 10 with a 101-200 RPI - combined with 3-8 record against 1-50 and only a 3-2 against 51-100 and they really have a weakass resume regardless of where people are ranking them. Best wins against Miami, NCState, and Michigan St.
Maryland with 12 wins against 201+ RPI teams is just disgraceful. And have a 1-1 against top 25 teams and a 4-1 against 26-50 is pretty pathetic as well - yeah they looked pretty good, but it is hard to tell because they only played two decent teams all year in UConn and a meh Louisville squad. And they lost to their only decent conference mate. Yeah you could move them up to a 2 seed, but they weren't going to displace OSU, Stanford, or MissSt from the top 3 number two seeds (and neither was Duke) so you would have ended up with the two of them in Bridgeport anyway, just trading seeds.

I am glad the committee is taking a stance on the OOC issue, though I think they probably ignored it elsewhere - still it is the teams expected to be contenders that should be punished for not contending in their OOC.

 

[Bernie]

It never fails every year Frese sprout this woe is me mantra. Always trying to position her team as the underdog, so when they when she can say they believe in us or respect us. It's getting real old.

 

[triaddukefan]

As I was reading the prior post, I was thinking "woe man, Triad is not going to be happy and nor should he be" as I am sooo rooting for Lexi to take it to the Terps and see how it goes.

Well its nice for Duke to be under the radar this year. I bet most will predict a Maryland-Oregon sweet 16 matchup.

 

[Woof 101]

I find three things hard to believe on this topic....
First as long as Brenda has been around the game she does not understand strength of schedule...
A look back in January ...Committee's message: Don't overlook strength of schedule
Second as long as Brenda has been around the game she does not understand strength of schedule...
Maryland women's basketball gets 'disappointing' No. 3 seed in UConn's region

Third and last for now and just my own opinion. A coach with a team in the upper echelon of the sport should become more of a leader rather than a whiner. Any good coach with overall knowledge of the situation would make it the positive that it is. This for the fan base and the team. Brenda has to show some basketballs.
It is not for lack of recruiting as her team is loaded with all state players and McDonald's AA's. Her approach to this and her comments to the team should be along the lines of, " first and foremost as always we have to focus on our next opponent." Behind closed doors to the team " we have been blessed with the opportunity to be the team that prevents UConn from going to the final four!"

 

[Huskee11]

Geno heaped praise on WVU at his recent press interview, referred to them as now being healthy. They did have a nice run in B12 Tourney with wins over Oklahoma, Texas and Baylor.

Before Maryland gets to UConn, they will likely need to beat WVU and then Duke.

I would not be surprised to see UConn v. WVU in the Elite 8.

Agree with those telling Frese to stop whining and that a 9 overall ranking is about right given their weak schedule. I do think, though, that WVU will play tougher than a typical 6 seed.

 

[tomcat]

Well thinking back to all the talk about an easy schedule and MD avoiding many top teams OOC because they had so many freshman and they get a 3 seed and the UConn region. Some UConn fans think its unfair for UConn I dont. I feel the committee might have felt if MD had gone to another region they might have won but in CT the chance was slim.

Think about this. First MD has WVa and thats not a cake walk. Could be a tuff game for MD. WVa has been playing well and is hitting their outside shots which will make MD have to come out and guard them. Next MD has UConn if they win at UConn. In our only meeting with MD we were up 19 at MD when all the fouls were called on UConn making them defensless and UConn still won by 6. Point is with all the pressure on and our lead diminishing quickly we found a way to win and not loose. Thats huge in itself. Now with that said MD has WVa and UConn. Thats a tall task. NCAA sending a message regarding OOC tuffness.

For me the reward of playing MD after we have already played them and we were in foul trouble and Lou was sick in a bucket and we still won and we have played them and we know them. I dont would rather be playing a team we are familiar with then a good team we havent faced. Yeah some UConn fans are concerned but not as concerned as Brenda MD and their fans. Heck we're UConn.

With all the talk about how Uconn could be beaten brings only one thing to my mind. Not so much UConn getting in foul trouble but a game called close where fouls are called that only a blind man would call. If they let them play UConn wins it all. If the refs get involved we could have a rocky road. With that said we've been through it before and came out with a win so I wouldnt worry to much.

le to I have one problem wiuth your logic. I understand the concept of playing someone you know rather than a good team you don't know. The problem, IMHO, is that there are so few GOOD teams that UConn has not played. The ones on the list of contenders -- Syracuse, for example, MS State, OSU, Stanford, etc., all MIGHT be able to beat UConn, but their chances are much worse than the biggies -- ND, SC and MD. To my way of thinking, it's a lot harder to play ND at this time of year than it is to take on Oregon State or even Stanford for the first time.

 

[Checkmate]

I find three things hard to believe on this topic....
First as long as Brenda has been around the game she does not understand strength of schedule...
A look back in January ...Committee's message: Don't overlook strength of schedule
Second as long as Brenda has been around the game she does not understand strength of schedule...
Maryland women's basketball gets 'disappointing' No. 3 seed in UConn's region

Third and last for now and just my own opinion. A coach with a team in the upper echelon of the sport should become more of a leader rather than a whiner. Any good coach with overall knowledge of the situation would make it the positive that it is. This for the fan base and the team. Brenda has to show some basketballs.
It is not for lack of recruiting as her team is loaded with all state players and McDonald's AA's. Her approach to this and her comments to the team should be along the lines of, " first and foremost as always we have to focus on our next opponent." Behind closed doors to the team " we have been blessed with the opportunity to be the team that prevents UConn from going to the final four!"

She wants her contract bonus for 30 wins. Most of the media and the fans do not notice that most of the wins are against teams outside of the top 100. Including teams ranked over 200. And again, teams that are win less in 4 years.

 

[southie]

A lot of NCAA championships place a huge emphasis on RPI.

Maryland's final RPI was 16. They should be more than happy with the #9 national seed. Their body of work is not reflective of a Top 10 national seed. And, a very weak B1G conference hurt them probably more than Frese would ever have predicted.

2017 NCAA Women's Basketball RPI

 

[Carnac]

Geno heaped praise on WVU at his recent press interview, referred to them as now being healthy. They did have a nice run in B12 Tourney with wins over Oklahoma, Texas and Baylor.

Before Maryland gets to UConn, they will likely need to beat WVU and then Duke.

I would not be surprised to see UConn v. WVU in the Elite 8.

Agree with those telling Frese to stop whining and that a 9 overall ranking is about right given their weak schedule. I do think, though, that WVU will play tougher than a typical 6 seed.

Me either.

 

[bizarro aj]

I've said all season that Maryland is so overrated. They will not beat WV so they don't need to worry about playing uconn. I don't see duke making it to face uconn either. It will end up being uconn vs WV in the Bridgeport region.

 

[hussybulldog]

Even if Maryland were awarded a 2nd seed, it would be the weakest no 2 seed and still be sent to Bridgeport. So not much difference . It is def not good enough to be ranked no 4 ., at best no 8.

 

[southie]

I've said all season that Maryland is so overrated. They will not beat WV so they don't need to worry about playing uconn. I don't see duke making it to face uconn either. It will end up being uconn vs WV in the Bridgeport region.

I think Maryland is very talented. But, their body of work just doesn't compare to the other Top 10 teams.

As for West Virginia, they looked awful during most of regular Big 12 conference season and finished 8-10. Two weeks ago, they were on the bubble to even make the NCAA tourney. They had one extremely impressive stretch of 3 games and deserved to win the Big 12 tourney. But, what are the chances Tynice Martin can continue her scoring outburst? Her play was the difference; not several other players stepping up their games. The worst thing for WVU is probably all this off time to cool down. They have no bench depth. I think Maryland will rout the Mountaineers at home.

 

[LO TRADER]

IMHO, Maryland is the second-best team in the country. Better than Baylor, ND, or SC. Not by much, and not on every night, but that's what I think. So, I believe that both UCONN and Maryland got screwed.

As for South Carolina, enough whining about travel. They're in the easiest regional, by far. Oregon State is the only competition, and if they can't handle them, SC doesn't belong in the Final Four.

Hey wait--that feels like a dis on Oregon State, not South Carolina (or Maryland).

 

[UcMiami]

You know ... where this 'punishment' idea falls down is with giving a bubble spot to Cal - the best OOC team Cal played was #102 Southern Miss, and their OOC SOS was 182 - they entered conference play at 12-0 playing no one in the top 100 RPI and 4 teams above 250, and went 6-12 in conference

 

[uconnever]

It will be Us vs Maryland 100%.

 

[willtalk]

You know ... where this 'punishment' idea falls down is with giving a bubble spot to Cal - the best OOC team Cal played was #102 Southern Miss, and their OOC SOS was 182 - they entered conference play at 12-0 playing no one in the top 100 RPI and 4 teams above 250, and went 6-12 in conference

You are mistaken. They played and beat Oklahoma.