ND - Game is More Important for UConn

[Stray Cat]

Making these games is central to Muffit's legacy.

You realize Coach McGraw spells her name Muffet, not Muffit. Not sure if it was a mistake or if you we just being an arse. I only mention this since I was called out by a few on this board for really to Tenn's leader as Coach Worlock (Warlick).

 

[pinotbear]

without rehashing all the aforementioned points-of-view, IMHO..

at least, for the short-term, Muffet's position is a bunch of hooey.
UConn is the defending Nat'l Champ. Unless something surprising happens, UConn will be the Nat'l champ this year, quite possibly undefeated. So, early in the 2014 season, a two-time Nat'l Champ team, with a lengthy winning streak comes into South Bend, playing the Irish in front of a sold-out home crowd on national TV...and, the game means more to UConn? I don't think so.

Both positions in this argument are based on supposition. My argument is based on short-term, what we know from last year, and what we've seen so far this year - from UConn, and from everybody else.

Most of the "it means more to UConn" arguments are based on long-term supposition - that, down the road a few years, the potential weakness of the AAC will hurt recruiting, and that other significant teams will endeavor to reduce UConn's profile nationally, by refusing to schedule the Huskies. That's supposition built on top of supposition, years into the future.

Pardon me for not getting into a frenzied tizzy about what might happen, based on what might happen, 4, 5, or 6 years down the road.

 

[boontonbomber]

Our conference was terrible before and we thrived, and there are a number of teams who have been good in a power conference and gone the way of LaTech and ODU, so I don't really see the conference as being that big a deal while Geno is around. He still gets more good players into the W and onto the Olympic team than any other coach and a player that has that ambition will still want to be coached by him.

And I would say Uconn is already the ND football of Women's college basketball - ambitious coaches want to play Uconn because while everyone rags on the 'learning experience' post game quotes, there is real truth in them. Watching Moriah yesterday in the second half force a turnover on the inbounds after a made basket while her team is up 30 is something you can talk to you team about, but let them experience that on the court at their expense is definitely a way to get their attention. Jeff having the Louisville team watch a Uconn practice during his first year is something that helped him change the culture. And forcing a turnover in full court pressure against Uconn is also something you can build on.

Geno talks about first trips to the FF and how it is hard to be ready the first time, and it getting easier as you repeat. Same can be said of playing Uconn. ND lost 12 straight to Uconn from 2005 - 2011 BE tournament. But they finally broke through and proceeded to win 7 of 9. I really believe if they hadn't played three times already in 2011 they do not win the fourth game because they learned.

the "terrible conference" you refer to included the likes of nd, louisville, rutgers, depaul, st. johns, syracuse, marquette, and villanova. uconn regularly beat up on these teams, but they are still programs that have been very successful, with some of the best coaches in wcbb. now, to see what a "terrible" conference really looks like, take another look at who's in the AAC.

 

[msf22b]

You realize Coach McGraw spells her name Muffet, not Muffit. Not sure if it was a mistake or if you we just being an arse. I only mention this since I was called out by a few on this board for really to Tenn's leader as Coach Worlock (Warlick).

typo, sorry

 

[HoopsFan21]

typo, sorry

Her real name isn't even Muffet!

 

[tomcat]

Our conference is terrible and that isn't going to change any time soon. The question going forward is the following:

Are we going to become the "Notre Dame football" of women's basketball, where conference affiliation means nothing, we're universally recognized as the king of the sport, and everyone wants to schedule us OOC because they know it's beneficial for them to be associated with us?

Or, like an earlier poster suggested, without the high-quality opponents presented to us systematically through a strong conference, do we fade into irrelevance in the manner of ODU and LaTech? (This likely requires a conspiracy on the part of the other powers in the sport to make sure the first scenario doesn't occur.)

This is exactly the situation, IMHO. No question, UConn is at the top of the sport now. The problem is that its ability to maintain the top-notch schedule that Geno wants lies in the hands of others, and that is never a good thing. UConn needs the Notre Dame games at least as much as Notre Dame does.

I don't think you have to be a naysayer or panic-mongerer to think that moving from the AAC would be a good idea. I mean, which would you prefer: UConn and its recruiting prospects exactly as they stand today, or UConn and its recruiting prospects as part of, say, the ACC? All else being equal, it seems the choice is obvious. That does not mean disaster lies ahead for UConn, though the team could gradually become less attractive to recruits and over time, less relevant to the national WCBB scene.

I can't see why one of the major conferences would want the package of UConn teams for at least a couple of years, until football prospects improve, and even that timeframe may be optimistic. That's why I believe Geno is going for the Notre Dame strategy, figuring in WCBB, at least, UConn has the cachet to attract crowds and interest anywhere, and is worth scheduling. It is the best strategy the team can use, at least for now. And later, if a major conference calls, the university has an added bonus of the best WCBB program in the land.

 

[UConnCat]

Muffett pretty much said the game was good for WCBB if you read the whole article. Trouble is Muffet can be snippy and that last line was snippy. I suspect she is still smarting from not beating UConn when everything was on the line.

Agree completely. Muffet showed her stripes back in May when she complained that ND hadn't heard from UConn about scheduling. This was one month after UConn kicked her team's behind in the FF and getting back to ND on scheduling was the not exactly atop UConn's list of priorities at the time. UConn responded in kind a few weeks ago (see Deb Corum's comment) and this is now Muffet's dig at UConn's conference. Just because a statement is accurate doesn't mean it needs to be said. She didn't have to say it but did anyway for other reasons. The friend thing has always been overblown and don't be fooled by the sweet name and the persona.

 

[buddy]

Has anyone seen a ND women's game on TV this year? I haven't. But I have seen UConn women's team on national TV many times. They realize that they have lost their TV exposure now that they no longer play UConn in the regular season. In the BE, they would be on national TV at least 3 or 4 times when they played UConn or rode on UConn's coat tails. Now you never even hear of their women's basketball team mentioned. Not even on their beloved ESPN. This series is a ploy to get them back on TV. Don't trust ND.

 

[DobbsRover2]

the "terrible conference" you refer to included the likes of nd, louisville, rutgers, depaul, st. johns, syracuse, marquette, and villanova. uconn regularly beat up on these teams, but they are still programs that have been very successful, with some of the best coaches in wcbb. now, to see what a "terrible" conference really looks like, take another look at who's in the AAC.

Depends what era you're talking about. The AAC is better than the Big East of the mid-90s when UConn won its first title, and is around the size of that unit. The bloated Big East of recent years was way bigger than the old Big East and the AAC and also included teams like Providence that were worse than any teams now in the AAC. Even in the early 2000s the Big East was mainly three or four strong teams making it to the tourney while the rest were weak. So any conference can grow, and just as the Big East grew up with UConn and added a huge amount of teams to become overloaded, so the AAC can thrive with a top nucleus but maybe not get too big.

 

[triaddukefan]

Has anyone seen a ND women's game on TV this year? I haven't. But I have seen UConn women's team on national TV many times. They realize that they have lost their TV exposure now that they no longer play UConn in the regular season. In the BE, they would be on national TV at least 3 or 4 times when they played UConn or rode on UConn's coat tails. Now you never even hear of their women's basketball team mentioned. Not even on their beloved ESPN. This series is a ploy to get them back on TV. Don't trust ND.

ND will be on TV a few times in the new year. Two ESPN matchups vs Duke... two big monday matchups vs TN and MD..... some ESPN3 games... and some ACC games on the ACC/Regional Sports Networks. Assuming they advance in the ACC tourney... the semis are on Saturday Evening on ESPN2.. and the finals are on Sunday evening on ESPN.

 

[psconn]

Pffft. What a bunch of Chicken Littles!


Turkey Lurkey, Goosey Loosey, Ducky Lucky, Cocky Locky, Henny Penny and Chicken Little

Which one is Rebecca Lobo? She seems to be saying the same thing in the Swishin' and Dishin' podcast linked elsewhere as I did. To paraphrase... UConn is at the mercy of the OOC marquee schools due to the weakness of the AAC. Smart woman.

 

[Tonyc]

WCBB needs UConn and make no mistake about it. ESPN CBS etc all want UConn because they draw. I don't wanna hear this garbage that any school thinks they need to play UConn because. My question would be if you want your team on ESPN play UConn because UConn is on ESPN more then any other team in WCBB. How bout this weekend with Cinny. If WCBB is going to succeed they need UConn and WCBB needs UConn to play in big games. How many people do you think are going to watch 2 top 10 teams if UConn isn't playing. UConn is a big money maker. More fans will watch if UConn is playing. Why? Because in some states they want to see UConn win. In other states they want to see UConn win. Many casual WCBB fans want to see UConn's stars and their AAs. If UConn wasn't what they are where do you think WCBB would be?

If you think other schools will not schedule UConn to hurt them I don't see that happening. First it would hurt WCBB and those in power will not let that happen. Second TV will put a lot of pressure on schools in the top 4 to schedule UConn because its big money for both schools and the network. If you think NO remember what happened at Tenn when ESPN went down to convince Pat to schedule UConn and she refused. UConn is all over TV and Tenn isn't. How has that helped Tenns recruiting vs UConns recruiting?

 

[uconnfan68]

Geesh, it wasn't two weeks ago that UConn fans were over reacting to a inaccurate news report about ND not wanting to schedule UConn. And now we are getting on Muffet for stating a basic fact. It's not that the game isn't important to ND, it's just that due to the current "very average" conference the Huskies play in, quality OOC games are more important to UConn. Nothing more, nothing less. We have the best program in the land, but our air of arrogance at times is very annoying. It's exactly the reason that over the years I came to despise Tenn fans and enjoy letting them know they aren't "all that" anymore, any time I can.

The basic "fact" is that ND did more to cause the rupture of the Big East than anyone did. And last year they were upset that the series wasn't renewed by Geno? Now they are doing us a favor? I couldn't care less about ND and would only bother to watch the game because UConn was playing.

 

[cabbie191]

When it comes to UConn's scheduling in general, not related specifically to Notre Dame, I believe UConn's OOC schedule will remain as strong as it currently is. Some of the reasons have been cited already - pressure from ESPN to have UConn aired, etc.

I think another factor, to the extent that coaches have strong influence on who their athletic departments will let them play, is that Geno has been extremely generous in helping a lot of other coaches during his tenure, whether by sharing practice tips (Walz), helping them get a job in the first place (Coales), or scheduling home and home games that other WCBB powers avoid (numerous). I'm sure there are some coaches who don't like Geno personally but I suspect they are few and far between, and I also believe there are many who would gladly schedule games as a way of saying thank you for what he has contributed to them personally and to the sport overall.

 

[cferraro04]

Sorry, but reading Muffet's comments and the commentary here on this board gives me a headache. Yeah, it is true that Muffet during the Skylar Diggins four years was 8 (edited) and 7 vs Connecticut and her bragging rights came during Skylar's last two years when she was 6 and 2 vs CT. However, she did lose the big one which was for it all to CT and Skylar graduated without winning a national championship. UConn still owns ND in total historical match-ups 29 to 11. So, what can we expect post Diggins...well, I think we have a barn-burner coming or as close to one as we are going to get...both teams are currently working to get all their pieces functioning optimally. KML and Tuck are just getting back for UConn, Brianna Banks is back after missing last year to knee surgery, Dolson is healed from her injuries last season and they are working Saniya Chong into the rotation. Notre Dame is working on Getting Natalie Achonwa back on track and getting Lindsley Allen comfortable at the point guard position while working Taya Reimer into their rotation. Both teams are clicking along pre-conference. Notre Dame will play a much more competitive in conference schedule than UConn...but, that really shouldn't matter as long as both teams stay healthy. It will be harder for Notre Dame to avoid injuries as they will probably require more minutes from their starters due to the tough schedule but, even this may be off-set by the fact that UConn only has 9 scholarship players this year.

So, here is what I think...all the speculation will end when the players step between the lines...it will come down to what happens on the court.

CENTER: Natalie Achonwa - 6'3", great player, big heart, she runs the floor really well, and is often a trailer on the play who will slash the middle in transition and score as a result of the ND guards finding her often...will leave it all on the floor but, her match-up against Stefanie Dolson 6'5" is a tough one. Stefanie is a smart, savy high basketball IQ center. She is the best passing center in the WCBB. She can step out to hit the three or the foul-line extended jumper, she is a better rebounder this year as she is going after the ball and getting it done with 10.0 rebounds per game. She has a soft touch around the basket and good footwork. She will be a handful for Natalie. Natalie Achonwa - 12.4 P/G; 7.4 RB / G; 2.28 assists / G; .57 Stls / G.; and 2.42 turnovers / G. Stefanie Dolson - 13.9 ponts P/G; 10 RB / G; 4.08 assists G; 1 steals / G; 2.5 turnovers / G - ADVANTAGE - UCONN

POWER FORWARD: Ariel Braker - 6'1", somewhat a surprise, emerged last year and has earned a starting position in Muffet's line-up. She isn't much of a scorer but she rebounds, gets steals and produces assists while keeping her turnovers low. She basically splits time with Taya Reimer who doesn't start but is first off the bench. Taya can also give Natalie a break as she played Natalie's position while Natalie was injured. Reimer is more efficient than Braker and it is only a matter of time before Reimer is starting over Braker in my opinion. However, does it really matter who starts at this position? After all, both players will have to play against Breanna Stewart - 6'4" and Breanna is clearly dominant at her position and arguably the best player in the country at this time. Breanna leads the team in scoring and really there isn't much in Breanna's skill set that she can't do and did I mention that Breanna has the ability and desire to elevate her play when it is needed as she thrives on the big stage. Ariel Braker - 3.9 points / G; 5.2 RB / G; 1.9 assists / G; 1.2 Steals / G and only .8 turnovers / G Breanna Stewart - 19.3 points / G; 7.7 RB / G; 3 Assists / G; 1.25 Steals / G; 1.66 Turnovers / G. - ADVANTAGE - UCONN

SMALL FORWARD: Kayla McBride - 5'11" - Kayla is the "heart and soul" of this team. She is a big time player and I believe it was more Kayla than it was Skylar Diggins who caused UConn the problems during those loses as Kayla presents a very tough match-up for teams. Kayla has a WNBA body and a very high basketball IQ coupled with a strong desire to win. She is a winner and her attitude reflects that mindset. Kayla can score and she likes taking the big shots, she is a tough rebounder and hustles on defense. She is also third in assists for Notre Dame. She will probably be matched up with KML - 6'0" who by tournament time will have completely shaken off the effects of her ulner nerve injury and will undoubtedly be her usual self. This years stats are misleading because she played in only 4 games this season after missing 8 games out of 12 this season due to the injury but a comparison of this year's stats to last year's statistics should put us in the ball park. KML is more than just a three point shooter, she is a great defender, a strong rebounder, hustles after every play. KML moves great without the ball and creates a tough match-up for who-ever is defending her. She can score in many ways not just from three point land. Kayla McBride - 14.4 points / G; 5.9 RB / G; 3.7 Assists / G; 1.2 steals / G and 2.3 turnovers / G. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (this years to last years stats) - 13.0 points / G - 17.6 points / G; 3.0 RB / G - 6.3 RB / G; .25 Assists / G - 2.34 / G; .5 steals / G - 1.5 steals / G; 0 Turnovers / G - 1.5 turnovers / G. ADVANTAGE - EVEN

SHOOTING GUARD: Jewell Lloyd - 5'10 - Jewell Lloyd has emerged as the teams most prolific scorer with the departure of Skylar Diggins. Jewell is making a case for herself to be considered a first team All American. She is a very talented player who has an extremely high basketball IQ, very athletic and is the future franchise player for Notre Dame. She isn't shooting lights out from three only hitting on .316 of her shots but, she can get to the basket and score. Defending her will fall to Bria Hartley, 5'8" who is making an All American claim in her own right, after all it was a distinction she earned as a sophomore and was derailed in her junior outing due to a nagging injury suffered in the summer between her sophomore and junior league playing 3 on 3 USA Basketball. Bria is a scorer who likewise, loves the big stage and usually plays her best in the big games. She is 2nd in scoring for UConn probably will drop to 3rd when KML rounds back into form. she leads the team in assists. Bria shoots the three a little better than Jewell is at the moment as she is hitting on .400 percent of her shots. Additionally, Bria's Assists / Turnover ratio is nothing short of amazing at 3.3. Jewell Lloyd - 18.5 points / G; 7.1 RB / G; 2.7 Assists / G; 1.5 steals / G; 2.5 turnovers / G. Bria Hartley - 14.6 points / G; 4.2 RB/ G; 5.16 Assists / G; 1.75 steals / G; 1.58 turnovers / G ADVANTAGE - EVEN - slight advantage Bria Hartley (Assists / steals / turnovers / 3 pt. shots)

POINT GUARD: Lindsley Allen 5'7", has emerged as the point guard for Notre Dame which is good for Jewell Lloyd which frees her to play the shooting guard which is more suited to her. Lindsley can handle and distribute the ball. It will be interesting to see how she handles the defensive pressure UConn brings. she leads the team in assists at 4.1 per game and shoots the three at .571 which is outstanding, however, she only has 8 makes for the season with 10 games under her belt. Lindsley has a fantastic Assists / Turnover ratio of 2.3. Moriah Jefferson, 5'7", has emerged as the most improved player in the UConn line-up. Not just statistically as is the case but also, as a floor leader as well. She is her own little highlight reel every game. There isn't a game that goes by that she doesn't do something that makes you think, "Wow, she is really, really good". She is the fastest player with the ball on the court, her court vision is exceptional and she is beginning to shoot the three with confidence. Moriah like Lindsley has a terrific Assists / Turnover ratio of 2.6 Lindsley Allen - 8.9 points / G; 2.2 RB / G; 4.1 assists / G; 1.9 steals / G; 1.8 turnovers / G. Moriah Jefferson - 10.6 points / G; 2.7 RB / G; 5 assists / G; 2.5 steals / G; 1.92 turnovers / G. ADVANTAGE - UCONN

BENCH: Notre Dame has Machaela Mabrey, Taya Reimer, Marisa Cable playing significant minutes while UConn has Morgan Tuck, Saniya Chong, Kiah Stokes and Brianna Banks playing significant minutes - Notre Dame's bench gives them: 27.4 points / G; 11.5 RB / G; 6.8 Assists / G; 3.2 steals / G; 2.9 threes / G; 4.3 Turnovers / G. UConn's bench gives them: 26.7 points / G; 14.8 RB / G; 4.89 Assists / G; 2.45 steals / G; 3.07 threes / G; 4.08 Turnovers / G. ADVANTAGE - EVEN with a slight edge to Notre Dame mostly on the play of Taya Reimer, but this should be negated as Morgan Tuck rounds into form....so, I would say that the bench play is mostly EVEN

COACHING: Sorry but with a 29 to 11 advantage in games over ND, I got to go with Geno and the crew... ADVANTAGE - UCONN
I think Notre Dame will play UConn stubbornly and will provide a tough match-up for UConn, probably the toughest of the year but at the end of the day UCONN WINS this game going away. They just have too many weapons, too much fire power. 88 - 71. I think Kayla McBride will join Skylar Diggins in the WNBA without winning a championships either...

 

[pap49cba]

My problem with ND is not their wbb program per se but more the school's 'we are God's gift to collegiate athletics' shtick.

 

[pinotbear]

Pap, it appears that shtick is contagious: the ACC caught it, ESPN caught it, and even SD was accused of having a touch...

 

[mhshuskies]

It seems a bit ironic to crack about a weak conference schedule. Who is ranked number 2 right now based on a weak out of conference schedule?

 

[mhshuskies]

I think it's important to consider why these games are important for Notre Dame.
Why did she make it, despite the snide (even if true) remark
.
And that reason plain and simple is ambition.
She's beaten Geno a ton in recent seasons but lost the big one and wound up with little credit.

Her Notre Dame squads, like our's are always competitive.
She's tired of being #2 (3-4-5?).
The only route to being considered the best is through UConn, hence the renewal.

Making these games is central to Muffit's legacy.

Understand what Geno meant last year before the semi when he said nd would not beat UCONN. nd was able to win some games against UCONN in the past few years but they were never able to BEAT UCONN. Winning by a point or two is a win, losing by 18 is getting beat. You are right about Muffet not getting credit because nd has fallen short. Three straight trips to the final four including twice what was perceived as the strongest team being eliminated in front of them. They still could not get it done. I would think that might be a little difficult to explain to a top recruit. So imagine telling those recruits: "We want you to play ball for us and win a NC and I know we have fallen short and can't win the big one, but we have a tougher conference schedule". I guess if that is all you got.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Which one is Rebecca Lobo? She seems to be saying the same thing in the Swishin' and Dishin' podcast linked elsewhere as I did. To paraphrase... UConn is at the mercy of the OOC marquee schools due to the weakness of the AAC. Smart woman.

Maybe she just likes to read sci-fi novels based in weird alternate Chicken Little universes, though she trailed off from her "no marquee matchup in the AAC" with a listing of all the marquee teams that either have scheduled UConn for the future or who have received huge incentive by attendance figure to do so. Stanford has been at the mercy of OOC marquee matchups for years and hasn't had the sky fall on it. The B10 teams have played in a highly touted conference for years and the smog has crashed down on them. Some team in the AAC will replace Louisville as the pit bull on UConn's heels, and you can bet that Geno will be doing everything he can to make sure the other 10 to 11 coaches in the league get the encouragement and Husky assistance in building up their programs.

And for the record in another message above, do remember that UConn beat ND twice in Skylar's last two years. Over the Skylar years, UConn's record vs. ND was 3-0, 3-1, 1-3, 1-3, a total of 8-7.

 

[doggydaddy]

CF, nice write up.

I would add in the schedule factor. Take a look at their bench and see how they contribute in the tougher games. Uconn's bench is better, and it's not close.

At this time, I feel Uconn would win by 10-15 points. I might change that in either direction after ND has played Tennessee, Maryland and Duke by the first week of February.

 

[cferraro04]

Maybe she just likes to read sci-fi novels based in weird alternate Chicken Little universes, though she trailed off from her "no marquee matchup in the AAC" with a listing of all the marquee teams that either have scheduled UConn for the future or who have received huge incentive by attendance figure to do so. Stanford has been at the mercy of OOC marquee matchups for years and hasn't had the sky fall on it. The B10 teams have played in a highly touted conference for years and the smog has crashed down on them. Some team will in the AAC will replace Louisville as the pit bull on UConn's heels, and you can bet that Geno will be doing everything he can to make sure the other 10 to 11 coaches in the league get the encouragement and Husky assistance in building up their programs.

And for the record in another message above, do remember that UConn beat ND twice in Skylar's last two years. Over the Skylar years, UConn's record vs. ND was 3-0, 3-1, 1-3, 1-3, a total of 8-7.

My post above has been edited to reflect your points...thanks...

 

[cferraro04]

CF, nice write up.

I would add in the schedule factor. Take a look at their bench and see how they contribute in the tougher games. Uconn's bench is better, and it's not close.

At this time, I feel Uconn would win by 10-15 points. I might change that in either direction after ND has played Tennessee, Maryland and Duke by the first week of February.

Thanks DD...not trying to replace your excellent reviews...but, I am tired of hearing about Muffet and how tough ND is. It is time for people to realize that we are witnessing WCBB history right here and now. 1. We are watching a team with four AAs (Dolson, Stewart, KML and Hartley). There are two AAs in the making Jefferson and Tuck. Geno is poised to become the coach with the most championships in WCBB history. We are watching what may be the most successful WCBB player in history in Breanna Stewart and we are watching the best three point shooter in WCBB history in KML. And, we may be witnessing the emergence of the next Olympic point guard for USA Basketball in Moriah Jefferson. That's history baby!!!

 

[mhshuskies]

Thanks DD...not trying to replace your excellent reviews...but, I am tired of hearing about Muffet and how tough ND is. It is time for people to realize that we are witnessing WCBB history right here and now. 1. We are watching a team with four AAs (Dolson, Stewart, KML and Hartley). There are two AAs in the making Jefferson and Tuck. Geno is poised to become the coach with the most championships in WCBB history. We are watching what may be the most successful WCBB player in history in Breanna Stewart and we are watching the best three point shooter in WCBB history in KML. And, we may be witnessing the emergence of the next Olympic point guard for USA Basketball in Moriah Jefferson. That's history baby!!!

Very well said!!!!!

 

[hneffjr]

Tell coach McGraw to go to h ll
Uconn made her
We need her like a cold
Move on to people who respect out commitment. Not ND
I don't post much , but Geno should go elsewhere.
H