NEVER play TENN again

[ThisJustIn]

What no one needs are games that are not controlled, managed, fairly officiated, and are physically out of control. There is a crisis in the sport going on in front of our very eyes. You are going to see a life threatening injury soon, then you are going to see a lawsuit or lawsuits, and then they may do something just like some many things the NCAA didn't do correctly in the past. They are not training and teaching their refs correctly, they are not monitoring them properly and they need new rules designed to eliminate this nonsense, and they need it yesterday. If the refs last night got called to task on that "sit down on" foul on Aaliyah it wouldn't happen again. In my view, all 3 of them should be suspended for 2 weeks. Then they would wake up. Right now, it's play at your peril.

As we know, the NCAA doesn't control the refs. They are independent contractors hired by the conferences. Unless things have changed, it's only during the NCAA tournament that the refs officially come under the NCAA's auspices.

I don't force the possibility of hiring refs full time - costs to much money.

Interestingly enough, a while back Mary Struckhoff was hired to revamp the NCAA'w women's system... but she left. Wonder why, as it's coaches and ADs who dictate what happens and what doesn't....

 

[CL82]

Who did pick the referees? ESPN? The two schools? I would like to know. I'm very cynical about the way the first half was officiated.

I would guess they were SEC referees.

(who have an unimpeachable reputation for absolute fairness, another hint of bias)

 

[wingsfan055]

The refs played a big part in ruining the viewer experience. The 2nd quarter calls were abysmal, and that upset both teams - players and coaches. Led to a very chippy 2nd half. UConn was lucky to get out of Rocky Top without any injuries. The crowd was very vocal against UConn - very much like the men's game. Who knows the insults being thrown around.

As a fan, I'm all for continuing the series. The "bad blood" only draws more outside interest to the game.

 

[oldude]

I’m confused. Are we complaining about the refs or are we complaining about the LV’s?

Personally, I hate complaining about the refs. It’s a loser’s excuse. As far as the game yesterday, the refs were a bit inconsistent in their calls, but it seemed to even out over the course of the game for the two teams. Just a game earlier we were applauding the refs for letting the teams play, including one of the most physical battles I’ve ever seen in WBB between Aaliyah & Morrow.

As for the LV’s, they played hard and lost. I don’t want to drop them from the schedule because things got a little chippy between Aaliyah and Jackson.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. Aaliyah gives as good as she gets, and that’s a compliment. There was a play in last year’s Elite-8 game when Aaliyah, trailing the play, practically tackled an NC State player in transition who was trying to get back on a UConn fast break. The refs didn’t see it and never called it. I remember thinking at the time, that it was a pretty smart play by Aaliyah as UConn scored on the break. In addition, have we already forgotten Aaliyah trading elbows and shoulder shots all game with Morrow during the DePaul game?

 

[Aluminny69]

This is why they play the game

 

[LwrcasefaN]

If the game wants to grow, then I just can't see cutting off the roots. This game, ranking aside, just represents so much. I mean if UCONN lost every game one season except Tennessee I would call that success! I respect their program and its history, but I still feel the need to remind their fans that we're not their little sister.

 

[hard2please]

lets first beatdown the cheapshot artists at our home next year big time... then they will beg not to play us.

 

[enigmatic]

My opinion is that we continue the series with Tennessee. The Vols may not be the program at the moment they once were with Pat Summitt but there is historic significance between them and UCONN. It's this rivalry that brought attention to WCBB in the first place. Face it, it's fact that opposing teams are going to play physical with us and that many times it will be unfairly officiated. I don't think that Geno's understandable halftime rant lastnight is any indication that he won't continue the Tennessee series. I still believe in his scheduling mantra that he will play anyone, anywhere, anytime. It's just up to who he reaches out to on his terms to want to play him.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

I think the refs are assigned by the conference of the home team but am not sure

Commonly, for example the PAC allows only its conference referees to do games on its venues. Particularly for out of conference games, other arrangements might be made in a contract (but not in the PAC).

Joe Vaszily, Eric Brewton and Gina Cross are not some super SEC favoring crew. I can't stand Vaszily, glad to have left him behind when we moved west. But he did a lot in the oBE and Brewton I often think of with the ACC, although he is a WNBA ref (or has been) as well. Cross works a number of conferences as well, I"m willing to wager that Geno "knew" every one of them.

They called an awful game - and odd things do happen in Tennessee, I was there for Clockwork Orange - but I think this was just bad officiating.

 

[Hist-teacher]

I believe the matchup has become largely irrelevant. Tennessee needs us much more than we need them. That being said in 1995 Pat Summit could have said that about UConn but didn't. She took us on. Maybe we can repay her by continuing the rivalry? Thoughts?

 

[Centerstream]

When Geno was asked the question by Holly at half time, he said "every time we come down here". I take that to mean that he doesn't feel that the games in Knoxville are called fairly. So why continue to go down there.
Maybe it's time to renew the UConn/USF rivalry...

 

[fomalhaut]

The refs were lousy, but the only incident in the game I found intolerable was Jackson's cheap shot against Edwards. And if you don't think this went on in the Summitt era, look up the incidents between Semeka Randall and Svetlana Abrosimova.

 

[HuskyNan]

The refs were lousy, but the only incident in the game I found intolerable was Jackson's cheap shot against Edwards. And if you don't think this went on in the Summitt era, look up the incidents between Semeka Randall and Svetlana Abrosimova.

Semeka bouncing the ball off of Svet’s head was incidental, not deliberate. Svet, Semeka, and Tamika ended up being friends - there was an article about it after that season.

Tamika Catchings is, and always has been, a class act. Geno recruited her and Semeka Randall and as he once said, he doesn’t recruit jerks.

 

[Puppy Love]

I’m not in favor of playing Tennessee next year or ever. Unless they get a lot better, there is nothing in it for Uconn. If UConn wins, it is just beating a lower ranked team that they are supposed to beat. If they lose, it could negatively impact NCAA seeding.

 

[baggerbob]

What no one needs are games that are not controlled, managed, fairly officiated, and are physically out of control. There is a crisis in the sport going on in front of our very eyes. You are going to see a life threatening injury soon, then you are going to see a lawsuit or lawsuits, and then they may do something just like some many things the NCAA didn't do correctly in the past. They are not training and teaching their refs correctly, they are not monitoring them properly and they need new rules designed to eliminate this nonsense, and they need it yesterday. If the refs last night got called to task on that "sit down on" foul on Aaliyah it wouldn't happen again. In my view, all 3 of them should be suspended for 2 weeks. Then they would wake up. Right now, it's play at your peril.

What?

Yes we play physical. Do we play dirty? I don’t think so. Is it a hate filled rivalry? I don’t think so. Players o. Neither side want to hurt each other and many have friendships of the court. Many will be teammates at the next level

Do you think UConn doesn’t play physical defense? They give as good as they get.

But I know Geno doesn’t share your view. He wants his players to experience playing physical ( but clean) opponents during the season so they are ready to face that style in the tourney.

I don’t like Tennessee but I certainly want US to play them every year.

Edit: if you were talking about cancelling this year, I could live with. Wouldn’t like it but we owe you for Geno’s graciousness last year. But cancelling the series? Gog forbid!

South Carolina may be physical, but in no way would she allow some of the stuff Tennesee pulled last night. Dawn respects the game, and her teams have always played the right way.

 

[01Neaggrad02]

Stop playing Tennessee AND Notre Dame. The teams are overly aggressive, they play in a manner that could potentially harm people.... and we can do better. NC State and South Carolina... even Duke would be good matchups now

 

[EricLA]

What Tennessee has in its' favor is a rabid fan base, and a tremendous history.

However, they are not a top team any more. They are barely a top 25 team, if that, and poised to drop further in the future. Warlick was a tremendous recruiter (I say she recruited circles around Harper), but was permanently stuck in the old Pat Summit coaching mold - get athletic players, one on one offense, crash the O-boards, play in your face defense. Certain parts of that plan are great, but the lack of anything resembling offense was never gonna work. And she seemingly did not have any assistants with great offensive basketball minds to fill in the areas where she was deficient.

Recruiting under Harper, however, has completely gone off the rails. Horston, and her class that went to Tennessee, was recruited by Warlick. Since then Harper's gotten exactly 1 kid in the top 15 over the last 4 recruiting cycles.

• 2020 her top recruit was #57 Salary
• 2021 it was #43 Puckett
• 2022 it was #11 Pissot
• 2023 it's a total bagel - 0 recruits

Sure she bolstered the roster with kids like Jackson (Miss State), Hollingshead (Georgia), Powell (Minny), Walker (WMU), and Franklin (Missouri State), but to have 0 recruits with at least 6 seniors on the team bodes very ill next season. Some of the kids will need to stay and use the covid year, and she'll need to clean up in the portal again, but really, if Tennessee did not have such a storied past, they would be a largely irrelevant middle of the pack team. They are living on fumes from prior greatness.

My point is unless something happens fast, they are poised to sink to the middle of the SEC pack, and potentially start being a perennial NIT invitee. So really, aside from nostalgia, there's no reason for the game. The "hype" surrounding it is old, and they are sinking fast. Frankly, I have no problem continuing to play them as I foresee 30-40 point blowouts in our mutual future should they play starting next season.

But the constant barrage of "Women's college basketball needs UCONN-Tennessee" is just silly. There are TONS of more compelling story lines including a host of new, and historical, programs vaulting towards the top.

• How long can SC stay at the top?
• Stanford has vaulted themselves back into the NC conversation over the past several years
• Mulkey is making great strides at LSU
• Schaeffer is doing exciting things at Texas
• ND is showing they are more than Muffet McGraw
• Lawson and the Duke story line
• Arizona is trying to show staying power
• North Carolina is back to being a national player
• The Big East is stronger than ever

Geno has done so much for WCBB over the years that he has zero to prove. AND he owes WCBB nothing in the sense of "for the good of the game to play Tennessee". That's a load of cr@p. The rivalry between those 2 schools existed in part because of the coaches and in part because no one was consistently better than those 2 schools for a very long time.

New rivalries, new coaches, etc. Great players, great play, great stories, all those things make WCBB compelling. The game needs more of that and less "manufactured" circuses...

 

[01Neaggrad02]

Can someone clarify something for me.... I did not see it here, and have not had time to read all the other post... but with like 5 minutes let in the game... didn't someone foul Edwards around the neck or head area knocking her to the ground... and wasn't it called a common foul.???? Why did they not review that???? I am still all up in arms over that one.... Can anyone help me out with this?

 

[socal613ws]

if anyone is gonna cancel the series is TENN, they benefit nothing from aside a buttwhooping. Won't be shocked if after the last series games it's donezo. It's not even the same without Pat Summit, honestly these players of today for Tenn doubt they even care or know the history of the rivalry. In it's hayday with Pat sure, but not anymore. SC is the new rival for UCONN

 

[EdSaid]

When Geno was asked the question by Holly at half time, he said "every time we come down here". I take that to mean that he doesn't feel that the games in Knoxville are called fairly. So why continue to go down there.
Maybe it's time to renew the UConn/USF rivalry...

Any team, any time, any place.

To be a great team sometimes you have to beat the opponents and the officiating crew. You just do it and don't complain.

There's no crying in WBB.

 

[DEpup]

I am so over playing ND and TN. I feel like someone gets hurt every time we go to ND and the refs try their hardest to help TN when we go there. I'm over it.

I'd like to see us go back to regular games with Stanford and I think Duke is on their way back. I'd also rather a game with Indiana than ND to keep a presence in that heavy bball state.

 

[CL82]

If the game wants to grow, then I just can't see cutting off the roots. This game, ranking aside, just represents so much. I mean if UCONN lost every game one season except Tennessee I would call that success! I respect their program and its history, but I still feel the need to remind their fans that we're not their little sister.

No, you’re not, but it is something to which you can aspire.

 

[Big Mick]

...
CAREFUL what you ask for:

1) DePaul game (w94-51)
...Everyone loved how that was called:
....Geno - Loved it and said great officiating and that it was called like the men's game and that we need more of those.
...Boneyard - agreed vigorously and want's more too.

2) Tennessee game (w84-67)
...Geno - Loved it, NOT SO MUCH, and called out the officials
...Boneyard - agreed vigorously and want's less too.
...Boneyard - now, wants to drop Tennessee and a few others.

My take:
...Geno - needs to take a step back. I was astounded that he snarled his displeasure on National TV. Simply disgraceful!
...Boneyard - try and be more of a basketball fan

The last thing we need is to have the women's game called like the men's. Granted, Geno wants his players to go to the rim a lot more this year than previously...ala the men's game.

The beauty of the women's game is that it is more tactical and played below the rim. Love it.

[ ]
..

 

[UcMiami]

Geno said somewhere he was sort of strong armed by ESPN when they made it the We Back Pat game. I think ESPN is the driving force behind the game and their hype of the rivalry certainly supports that thought. No question in my mind it is a money maker for ESPN and both programs, so ...meh.

I agree with the posters that mention that before the series was cancelled by Pat, it was a real rivalry as TN or Uconn had won the championship 11 of 14 years it ran and Uconn won the next two for a streak of 13 in 16 years. They trade #1 and #2 ranks most years. And the game was sort of a preview of what would come in March.

Since 2008 and the cancellation TN hasn't been to a FF and Uconn hasn't missed a FF. Not so much of a rivalry anymore. The hype is manufactured as the teams haven't met in a NCAA tournament in years. Uconn vs ND, Baylor, Stanford, and SC have certainly been much more meaningful games since 2008. You could add Lousiville and MSST as well.

I do think there is an edge to the fan interactions, not sure it carries over to the players most of who probably had just started playing basketball when the last rivalry game was played.

 

[npignatjr]

The outcome of that official review was a travesty. The idea that Edwards did anything approaching the severity of what Jackson did to her is utter nonsense, laid bare for all to see by the replays we got to watch from home. Plus I think the refs even lied about it, announcing that the initial call on the floor had been upheld. The initial call most certainly was not a double-intentional.

So I feel your pain. There's just never any institutional accountability or even acknowledgement for bad officiating in the college game, especially on the women's side.

I lost a lot of respect for the process after the 2018 National semi-finals, where over the course of the evening a clearly biased officiating team probably turned the game outcome in favor of Notre Dame. They called more than one phantom blocking foul on Lou, putting her in foul trouble from which the Huskies could not recover. At one point they even called a turnover on Napheesa for stepping out of bounds, when her foot was nowhere near the baseline.

Of course, we couldn't rely on ESPN to show us where her foot actually was. No, the action their replay showed was of the ref making the call. Seriously, you can't make this stuff up. Thankfully, an outraged fan later posted video from his phone on Twitter, which was linked to the post-game thread here on this board.

Geno rightly said that they changed the way the game was called in the second quarter. What he couldn't say, but what needed to be said, was that the refs succumbed to the temptation to try to even up the game and make it more exciting for the home-team fans and television viewers. Unacceptable.

But for all of that, my remedy would be to try to address the bad officiating, not to cancel the series.

For the good of the game.

The whole 2018 FF was an officiated joke. Besides the ND UConn semi the final was also a sad day for WCBB, Mississippi State was also robbed to give the trophy to ND.