My thoughts on Tues.

[Tonyc]

I would expect Turner and Reimer to get in foul trouble in the 1st half. When that happens its time to turn out the lights. I expect UConn to have a lead of 20+ before Geno calls off the dogs.

 

[Sonny44]

Meyers, my husband and I do the same thing in nerve-wracking important games like this, especially when playing a team we cannot stand. Can NOT watch on TV!! I check in here from time to time and if we are far enough ahead, we will watch the end/celebration.

You guys are too much!

 

[ABachelor6CR]

Meyers, my husband and I do the same thing in nerve-wracking important games like this, especially when playing a team we cannot stand. Can NOT watch on TV!! I check in here from time to time and if we are far enough ahead, we will watch the end/celebration.

While I like to do the same thing, I can't because I don't have a DVR or even a VCR, so I am forced to watch live. My wife walked out of the room during the SCAR -ND game because she wanted SCAR to win......I, mean while, was made to suffer....*sigh*

 

[Sonny44]

Lloyd is capable of doing her share of damage. Uconn just needs to make sure that neither Allen nor Turner scores big.

Don't forget M. "Flop" Mabrey though she went scoreless against us earlier this year.

 

[dtbtbtb]

I fully expect that any ND player in the vicinity of Stewie will be flopping hard

 

[SallyH]

Iirc, Reimer has struggled the last two NC games (knee and foul problems), and I definite think we have an advantage in the post on both sides of the ball. ND shoots the three well enough to give me agita, however, and any team who has gotten close to us have bombed away from 3.

 

[baggerbob]

Anyone who believes on a neutral site that Moriah plays 20+, scores 0 points, and Stewie goes 3-12 again, is in la la land.

 

[Hongster]

Jewell Loyd scored 31 and lost to UC by 18. Tonight for ND to win JL has to score 50 and that's impossible. As for Turner as a threat I doubted, saw her throw lot of bricks at the end of USC game a sign of rookie judder and inexperience.

Uconn by 20 with 5 minutes to go in the game.

 

[UConnNick]

I'm not worried. But will still do my due diligence and DVR the game and watch it after. Don't want to mess anything up.

Actually I usually check in on the score around half time and in the second half, if UCONN is far enough ahead I'll watch the last few minutes to see the celebration live. (but don't tell anyone)

What a coward!

Have some intestinal fortitude and watch it live. Who wants to watch a game when you already know the outcome? It's only a game. Wait a minute, did I write that? LOL

You're right, it's life or death, especially any time Notre Lame is involved.

 

[HoopsFan21]

If we come out with the intensity of the South Carolina game, the 2nd half of Dayton, or the Texas game, ND has no chance. If we play like against Maryland, which turned into a bit of a yawner, it's going to be a tight game.

 

[ctdad]

Iirc, Reimer has struggled the last two NC games (knee and foul problems), and I definite think we have an advantage in the post on both sides of the ball. ND shoots the three well enough to give me agita, however, and any team who has gotten close to us have bombed away from 3.

Impossible, she's only a soph.

Her role on last year's team was first "big" off the bench. When Achonwa went down, she was forced into a starting role she was not ready for. She is not the same player she was a year ago or even at the start of this season. Doesn't mean foul trouble couldn't happen, but she is a much more confident player right now and starting to show the potemtial that made her the #4 player coming out of high school.

 

[UConnNick]

Meyers, my husband and I do the same thing in nerve-wracking important games like this, especially when playing a team we cannot stand. Can NOT watch on TV!! I check in here from time to time and if we are far enough ahead, we will watch the end/celebration.

Sheesh, a couple more cowards!

See my response to Meyers. We need you folks to show some real guts here.

 

[Hongster]

I'm very sure that Geno will again exploit the mix-match down lo, emphasize on the inside game Tuck and Stewie will have a field day.

 

[Bestiarius]

What ND has done against UConn over the past few years has psychologically damaged us UConn fans. It's irrational to think those past losses will carry forward to this year.

ND has struggled their way to a good record. Uconn has blasted all comers, so don't worry. Everyone looks great until they face the Huskies.

 

[Kevin G]

Am I the only one who does not want a close game tomorrow night? I want UCONN to crush ND by 20+ points!!

 

[Kevin G]

If you look at only the predictive rating, it predicts a 16 point win. Like I said earlier, UConn has to struggle AND ND has to bring their best game AND the refs have to help them.

If the refs call it fair and don't allow them to mug our players in the paint, UConn wins.

I, for one, am tired of seeing Stewie get manhandled on every offensive possession. Of course, the refs cant blow the whistle every time so teams get away with it. I just want a fair game. Let the players play the game

 

[winlots]

What ND has done against UConn over the past few years has psychologically damaged us UConn fans. It's irrational to think those past losses will carry forward to this year.

ND has struggled their way to a good record. Uconn has blasted all comers, so don't worry. Everyone looks great until they face the Huskies.

BEST: easy to like the way you think. Appreciate the reassuring post.

 

[winlots]

Am I the only one who does not want a close game tomorrow night? I want UCONN to crush ND by 20+ points!!

KG: "You'll never walk alone -- walk on, walk on.........."

 

[winlots]

I, for one, am tired of seeing Stewie get manhandled on every offensive possession. Of course, the refs cant blow the whistle every time so teams get away with it. I just want a fair game. Let the players play the game

KG: "Go tell it on the mountain....."

 

[Zorro]

I think that Loyd will get around 20, more or less, but take about 17 shots to do it. And we wom bu 20 or so. And I will be watching, wearing my lucky mojo UConn cap and shirt.

 

[Paesano]

If ND gets the same treatment as the Puke men are getting tonight, UConn CAN lose.

 

[j66kicker]

I think that Loyd will get around 20, more or less, but take about 17 shots to do it. And we wom bu 20 or so. And I will be watching, wearing my lucky mojo UConn cap and shirt.

Done deal then!

 

[Geno-ista]

If ND gets the same treatment as the Puke men are getting tonight, UConn CAN lose.

Peasano- you are right about the refs trying to keep ND in the game. Wisconsin just got hosed so bad with block charges and no calls as the Dukees started flying into bodies and getting to the line, no matter how bad they charged. The Duke that head butted the Wisconsin defender should have been charged with a technical- instead he goes to the line for an and one. Even the late out of bounds call isn't reversed when it was easy to see live it was off Duke under their offensive basket. Sickening.
We will crush ND by 25-30!

 

[Paesano]

Consider this. The NCAA has gotten a lot of bad press recently from the way they handled Penn State to the fiasco at Syracuse to the total dumpster fire at UNC. They need their squeaky clean darlings to win in order to distract everyone. I fear ND wins, no matter how bad the refs need to be. People are saying Wisconsin played poorly down the stretch. Do they really think the way the game was being called had nothing to do with it? They are kids and they are human. Trust me, our girls will get just as frustrated and rattled if this happens to them tomorrow.

 

[j66kicker]

Don't leave it to the refs to decide - leave no doubt

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

As I've stated before, the game will come down to UCONN's bigs are far superior to ND's bigs! As they showed in the 1st game! ND only has Turner, Reimer is a foul waiting to happen! ND fans say we were missing Turner the 1st time wait till she comes back! Well she's back and it'll make NO DIFFERENCE! She'll foul out as the SoCar game but earlier, maybe the 8 minute mark! Who is going to cover Stewie, Tuck, KML, Stokes, & Williams? UCONN's and ND's Guards are both talented so they're a wash, even though I think MoJeff will have a HUGE game both offensively & defensively! Not the no-factor she was in the 1st game! Geno will have Nurse follow Loyd all over even to the bathroom! Since Kia's scoring has been down a little in the NCAA's she'll face guard Loyd as he did SoCar's Mitchell and frustrate Loyd the same way!
The time of ND beating UCONN is over! Back when ND won those 7, UCONN's players gave ND too much credit and played accordingly with the refs help, but the Huskies of 2015, like last year have their mojo back and will kick Irish ass and take names! UCONN wins by at least 20 points but closer to 25 to 28 points!
The Talking Suits are now saying this edition of UCONN 's defense is NOT as good as past years especially when it comes to defensing penetrating guards! Don't believe it! UCONN will totally shut down ND and establish their own offense! The first 5-8 minutes of the game may be close but when UCONN gets rolling Katie bar the door! It'll be a track meet and THE MUFFETT will be frustrated once again! One ND Championship that Svet and Shea's injuries gave her in 2001! Stick a fork in ND they're done!
Just for the record, I watch the game in REAL TIME as I want to see the Irish cry in frustration when it happens not later!

 

[Buzzyboy]

It will take a monster (25-30 points) contribution from Loyd and another monster contribution (20+ points) from another ND player to make this game competitive in the last 5 minutes. I don't see anyone on ND capable of this and I don't see Loyd getting there either. UCONN is just too focused on whatever is necessary to win. Example: The best 3 Pointer in the history of NCAA realized she was the focus of the defense last night and just decided her contribution was going to be 7 assists.

If you are only going by the numbers, Loyd had a monster game at Notre Dame in the Fall when we beat them badly but what happened is that Loyd actually stunk the joint out and shot horrifically and was virtually the mad bomber in that game. She scored a bunch of points by the ten minute mark of the first half and then virtually disappeared and contributed to UConn's victory by continually putting up miss after miss after miss. I think she scored over 30 points but they were the worst 30 points ever. They showed a chart yesterday after their game where they suggested that Loyd had come out of her slump because she scored over 20 points but her shooting percentage was virtually the same as the lousy shooting she's done throughout the NCAA tournament so all that changed was that she put up more shots. She was almost the reason Notre Dame lost yesterday and her shot in the last 20 seconds yesterday was awful, so awful that South Carolina wasn't in a position to rebound it (airball) because they were assuming the shot would hit off the iron and it never touched anything, falling far short. Her teammate saw the ball, grabbed it out of the air, spun and hit the game winning shot to save her b**t from giving away the game. I want to see that Loyd once more, tomorrow!

 

[Buzzyboy]

We don't have the shut-down defense of years past, but Geno knows this and instead challenges other teams to run with us. Usually it works. We score in the 80's, and the natural deficiencies of the other team limit their scoring to 70 or fewer.

The only time it didn't work was against Stanford, who both exploited our poor individual, on-ball defense (with Chong in particular getting shredded) and shot 50% from deep. Notre Dame has the dribble-drive ability, with Loyd in particular, but I'm not sure they have the other pieces necessary to get to 80 points.

UConn 82-68 ND.

I couldn't disagree more with your interpretation of this team. The defense is what it's always been and that is the catalyst of our offense. This defense is outstanding though it took us a while to finally get where we needed to. Though KML can be a little slow and quicker players can occasionally use that to their advantage, the shotblocking of Kiah and Breanna can stymie players that get around that corner. KML is smart and positions herself well defensively so she isn't beat too often and her quick hands can compensate, as well. Kiah is a marvelous defender and Stewie is good, helped by her amazing length and agility and Morgan is formidable, as well. Moriah is cobra quick and Nurse is solid so I'm totally happy with out defense and it is one of the reasons we've led the nation in scoring is because of our stops that have led to transition offensive success.

 

[Buzzyboy]

If you look at only the predictive rating, it predicts a 16 point win. Like I said earlier, UConn has to struggle AND ND has to bring their best game AND the refs have to help them.

If the refs call it fair and don't allow them to mug our players in the paint, UConn wins.

I'm not saying I won't be nervous but I'm inclined to think that the few years where Skylar and company were flopping and throwing their bodies recklessly into the point and instead of getting called for charges, were rewarded by blocking calls are over. The refereeing is nowhere near good but it's better than it was and they're no longer rewarding that bull in the china shop type basketball, thankfully.

 

[Buzzyboy]

You guys are too much!

There is absolutely no one that would want to watch a Notre Dame/UConn game with me because I am so over the top, and it isn't fun. The same would apply if the Huskies were playing Tennessee or any bona fide foe. I'm not proud of it but I get pretty upset over bad calls, idiotic remarks from the announcers, poor decisions that a Huskie might play, etc. etc. I know myself and watch the game by myself so as not to offend anyone or get institutionalized. Other than these games, I'm a pretty mild mannered guy.