Night Cap Games

[alexrgct]

UConn's B game (even C) may get them over the hump... fan just expect blowouts but if UConn wins by 7 of course everyone would be saying they aren't playing well

At this stage, I'll be just as happy with a one point victory as I will with a 30+-point win. But UConn playing well should result in a comfortable victory.

 

[Icebear]

They lost to Delaware, Michigan State (twice), Nebraska, and Purdue. If they come within 12-13 of UConn, it will be because UConn played poorly. Which UConn is periodically capable of doing.

UConn will take down PSU pretty easily because no one in the Big Ten plays anything like UConn's defensive intensity. It will be a game that is good for hoops in the northeast. It would be great if it could lead to a home and home. PSU will be good next year losing only Gray.

UConn will not give Lucas the room that LSU gave her in the first half. CAroline knows Lucas well and knows that can't happen because Lucas will kill you. Plus you can't afford to send Lucas to the foul line. Match up Kelly on her. One challenge is that PSU has plenty or size and bodies inside and will go 9-10 deep. Washington freely uses that many players given the situation.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Lady to my right says I have to go to bed! See you all on the board tomorrow and tomorrow and anon!

 

[Vowelguy]

Lady to my right says I have to go to bed! See you all on the board tomorrow and tomorrow and anon!

What does the lady to your left say?

 

[ASweet3781]

Unless we play really poorly I just don't see it. Yes they are well coached but our D is too good. I think we start having a hard time in the following game.
A.

Hey we may win both games in a blowout and I hope we do. But Penn State just handled the LSU team that beat KY twice. I think they will be a tougher game than Kentucky quite frankly. But I do hope both are comfortable victories.

 

[McHuskyFan]

WOW .... congrats to the Johnnies gutting out a tough one in Oklahoma. Doin' the Big East proud!!!

 

[cardfan]

What does the lady to your left say?

good one

 

[cardfan]

UConn will take down PSU pretty easily because no one in the Big Ten plays anything like UConn's defensive intensity. It will be a game that is good for hoops in the northeast. It would be great if it could lead to a home and home. PSU will be good next year losing only Gray.

UConn will not give Lucas the room that LSU gave her in the first half. CAroline knows Lucas well and knows that can't happen because Lucas will kill you. Plus you can't afford to send Lucas to the foul line. Match up Kelly on her. One challenge is that PSU has plenty or size and bodies inside and will go 9-10 deep. Washington freely uses that many players given the situation.

PSU is s very good, I think it will be closer than some think, but UConn will win.

 

[cardfan]

Enjoy! We'll want a detailed report.

Thanks. Fresno is not as nice as Kingston, but I'd be happy to give a full report.

 

[easttexastrash]

Lol. Gotta chuckle at all the statements in recent weeks that Del is the "real deal". I'm not even sure they're a top 20 team.

This is why you can't reward teams with weak schedules - you just have no idea how good they are.

Agreed. I was wondering when this "it's a well rounded team " talk was going to die down. Maybe now?

 

[RadyLady]

The thing that is really noticeable while watching these two teams is just the level of intensity. I know that's hard to quantify, but watching UConn it almost makes you take for granted how hard the players go every possession. Diving for loose balls, helpside defense, traps, rebounds, blocking out...and it's every time down the floor. KU and UD have both had stretches where they play hard, but it's definitely not a sustained effort like UConn gives.

I agree - this is like watching basketball in slow motion

 

[bruinbball]

PSU is s very good, I think it will be closer than some think, but UConn will win.

I disagree to a point. If Lucas, Bentley and Gray are not hot from 3 land, we should win comfortably 30-40. If one or two are hitting consistently, it should be 15-20 point win. If all three are hitting it will be a tight game. Dolson should completely neutralize and have her way with Greene in the post - she also has a tendancy to foul (some bad fouls) 113 fouls on the year (Dolson has 60). While Penn State likes to play fast, they will take some bad shots and have some lapses on D. Bentley is a thief but can be burnt if she does not stick to her assignment. I see an 18-22 point win, let's say 74-55.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

What does the lady to your left say?

"But I am as good once as I ever was!"

 

[EricLA]

like a few others, i'm glad that Delaware was exposed. they rose steadily in the rankings due to their win over PSU, close loss to Maryland, and then simply not losing to anyone else. but their SOS was so low that it is really hard to tell. they really are a one trick pony, and while there has been a ton of talk about possibly Pat's last hurrah, the hype surrounding a Delaware/Tennessee matchup would have been insane.

i had hoped early on that Delaware would be the 4 seed in our bracket. certainly an interesting story line - Samarie transfers to Kentucky and they are our 2-seed. EDD transfers to UD and they could have been our 4 seed. UD had a SOS of about 80 or so, but their RPI was in the top 15 (12 or 11 in some cases) so it's logical i guess that they were made a 3 seed. but to me it's more an indication that something isn't quite right with the way they calculate RPI.

anyway, no matter what happens this year, get ready for the EDD, Griner, Diggins hype machines for next year. it's going to be out of control, and probably rightfully so as they are 3 of the most interesting players in WCBB.

 

[ChicagoGG]

like a few others, i'm glad that Delaware was exposed. they rose steadily in the rankings due to their win over PSU, close loss to Maryland, and then simply not losing to anyone else. but their SOS was so low that it is really hard to tell. they really are a one trick pony, and while there has been a ton of talk about possibly Pat's last hurrah, the hype surrounding a Delaware/Tennessee matchup would have been insane.

i had hoped early on that Delaware would be the 4 seed in our bracket. certainly an interesting story line - Samarie transfers to Kentucky and they are our 2-seed. EDD transfers to UD and they could have been our 4 seed. UD had a SOS of about 80 or so, but their RPI was in the top 15 (12 or 11 in some cases) so it's logical i guess that they were made a 3 seed. but to me it's more an indication that something isn't quite right with the way they calculate RPI.

anyway, no matter what happens this year, get ready for the EDD, Griner, Diggins hype machines for next year. it's going to be out of control, and probably rightfully so as they are 3 of the most interesting players in WCBB.

Add one more to the hype machine - Breanna Stewart. I believe she, too, will be one of the most interesting players in WCBB. She already has plenty of hardware, ANd national team experience!

 

[Icebear]

Sorry, but it is ridiculous to say that Delaware was "exposed" anymore than ND, TN, or CT were by losses this year. they led by 6 at the half and lost by 6. EDD had 34 points on 50% shooting and 15 for 18 FTs. The traveled to Arkansas and lost to Kansas by 6 points there which was one of their longest road trips of the year. The team did not give EDD the support that was needed to win but was hardly "exposed." Two losses on the year both by 6 points is one heck of a year.

 

[Vowelguy]

• The game was over with 4+ mins to go.
• On a neutral court.
• EDD was worn down by midway through the 2nd half.
• Despite double/triple teaming EDD, the rest of DE did zilch.
• Against the 6th best team from the Big 12.

They were exposed as not being a top 10 team.

 

[Icebear]

EDD played 40 minutes.

My point is that one game tells you little. It was a loss a long ways from home. The situation is completely new to the team.

 

[Vowelguy]

EDD played 40 minutes.

My point is that one game tells you little. It was a loss a long ways from home. The situation is completely new to the team.

"One game tells you little." Ok, then let's also ignore the Penn St game. Then tell me what makes them a top 15 team?

"It was a long ways from home."
Lol. The far-away-from-home excuse. Not even Carolyn Peck has used that one.
You're only confirming my point -- they were a team in over their heads, and were not a top 10 team.

 

[EricLA]

• The game was over with 4+ mins to go.
• On a neutral court.
• EDD was worn down by midway through the 2nd half.
• Despite double/triple teaming EDD, the rest of DE did zilch.
• Against the 6th best team from the Big 12.

They were exposed as not being a top 10 team.

exactly. I used exposed in my email to mean that they were a top 10 team who should not have been a top 10 team. they played the 80th rated SOS this year and aside from the PSU win, had no other wins against anyone ranked in the top 25 (and maybe the top 50). they are a one trick pony with one uber-star and a bunch of other players who are average skill-wise in relation to other WCBB teams. if Del had lost to PSU as well as Maryland, they'd probably have ended up ranked about 20 or so, but they played their A-game vs. PSU and PSU probably played their B or B- game.

Put Delaware in the Big East and honestly where do you think they end up? they were completely gassed in the 2nd half. the Big East if much more physical and athletic. i'd probably put them 9th in the league - ahead of Marquette, Pitt, Seton Hall and Providence, Villanova, and maybe Cinci. i'd bet they are about even, or a step behind Syracuse. if they played in the Big East, even if they were better than Syracuse, there's a chance they'd not even have made the NCAA's as USF is in the NIT, not the NCAA's. they lost to Kansas, for goodness sake, and it wasn't a fluke. Kansas ran them up and down the court and completely wore them down. note to UD's coach - work on conditioning for next year.

their win vs. PSU was the 2nd game of the season. Maggie Lucas was 4-17. PSU committed 24 fouls to UD's 12. i bet if UD played PSU 10 times, they lose 8 of them. i realize Lucas and Richards transferred from Florida and WVU respectively, but there's probably a reason they left. neither of them averaged over 7 PPG for the year so it's not like you can compare them to a Samarie Walker, Destiny Hughes, or Markel Walker transfer.

they actually lost by 9 to maryland but if one wants to point to that as a "strong loss" how about a 7 point win over James Madison? a 9 point win over NC Wilmington, a 10 point win over Hofstra, a 1 point win over Drexel, but to be fair, they did have early wins over Villanova, St. Bonaventure, and Princeton. so who knows. but either way the loss to Kansas was a pretty bad loss...

 

[Icebear]

The season long record including not just the PSU game but the loss by just 6 at MD. As I said the loss to Kansas was a long road trip something unusual for DE. Previously, this season they had never left the time zone and the longest trip looks like North Carolina. They may never have taken a plane to a game this year. I'm not sure. How many trips nearly as far or farther than Kansas did DE have? None.

I never suggested anything about the PSU game but it is one piece in the whole season. It is no more right to pull it out than it is to point to the Kansas game as some big exposure. The whole body of work stands as it is, two losses by 9 and 6 points each, a loss to MD at MD, and a loss in the second round of the tournament where they were ahead at the half.

My point is simply to call a loss for one half an exposure is complete nonsense and bullgeschite.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Thanks. Fresno is not as nice as Kingston, but I'd be happy to give a full report.

That's not saying much. Kingston is rather rural and in the middle of nowhere, but the bay and ocean are not too far. The arena looks very nice.

 

[DobbsRover2]

The season long record including not just the PSU game but the loss by just 6 at MD. As I said the loss to Kansas was a long road trip something unusual for DE. I never suggested anything about the PSU game but it is one piece in the whole season It is no more right to pull it out than it is to point to the Kansas game as some big exposure.

How many trips nearly as far or farther than Kansas did DE have.

My point is simply to call a loss for one half an exposure is complete nonsense and bullgeschite.

Well, if Delaware really did get exposed, then it's too bad that Georgia Tech and PSU weren't similarly exposed, since they have only the 1 measly top 25 win on the year and GTech has only one more win against the top 50 teams than Delaware after the win over Gtown even though they have had many more opportunities. And let's not mention the 2nd round losers like Florida and California that have been praised for gritty efforts there but had 0 top 25 wins this year.

Why do we crap on the gutty mid majors who make good runs and come up a little short while lauding the nonstarring major conference teams who somehow put everything together to get to the Sweet 16? Delaware had a great season and their stats represent a solid team, not some exposed pretender. They were #1 in FT %, 12th in FG% and 31st in FG% defense, 1oth in turnovers, 9th in personal fouls, 15th in assist\TO ratio, and 37th in 3-pt% defense -- all signs of a disciplined well-coached team. Sure, their SOS was up around 80th, so let's go dump on the two mid-majors left in the Sweet 16 because their SOS is worse. We know mid-majors have it tough this time of year, but some of us like to cheer on the underdog, even when they get rewarded as an overdog and arouse some jealousy. It used to be that Delaware was being slammed here for not using EDD enough, or properly, or whatever. Now they're slammed for being a one-trick pony, maybe like a Jackie Stiles SW Missouri team. Guess what, that can work sometimes.

This is sad. We know EDD left UConn and had her reasons, but for Husky fans to be gloating over Delaware's demise is just bad. Back in 1991 an upstart 29-5 UConn team from nowhere's-ville had a nice little run in the tourney behind a star player named Kerry Bascom, and I hope the VA fans that year weren't chortling that ex-assistant Auriemma's team had finally been exposed when the Huskies got knocked off. Let's just say that Delaware had a great run and is building for even better next year.

 

[Icebear]

Well, if Delaware really did get exposed, then it's too bad that Georgia Tech and PSU weren't similarly exposed, since they have only the 1 measly top 25 win on the year and GTech has only one more win against the top 50 teams than Delaware after the win over Gtown even though they have had many more opportunities. And let's not mention the 2nd round losers like Florida and California that have been praised for gritty efforts there but had 0 top 25 wins this year.

Why do we crap on the gutty mid majors who make good runs and come up a little short while lauding the nonstarring major conference teams who somehow put everything together to get to the Sweet 16? Delaware had a great season and their stats represent a solid team, not some exposed pretender. They were #1 in FT %, 12th in FG% and 31st in FG% defense, 1oth in turnovers, 9th in personal fouls, 15th in assist\TO ratio, and 37th in 3-pt% defense -- all signs of a disciplined well-coached team. Sure, their SOS was up around 80th, so let's go dump on the two mid-majors left in the Sweet 16 because their SOS is worse. We know mid-majors have it tough this time of year, but some of us like to cheer on the underdog, even when they get rewarded as an overdog and arouse some jealousy. It used to be that Delaware was being slammed here for not using EDD enough, or properly, or whatever. Now they're slammed for being a one-trick pony, maybe like a Jackie Stiles SW Missouri team. Guess what, that can work sometimes.

This is sad. We know EDD left UConn and had her reasons, but for Husky fans to be gloating over Delaware's demise is just bad. Back in 1991 an upstart 29-5 UConn team from nowhere's-ville had a nice little run in the tourney behind a star player named Kerry Bascom, and I hope the VA fans that year weren't chortling that ex-assistant Auriemma's team had finally been exposed when the Huskies got knocked off. Let's just say that Delaware had a great run and is building for even better next year.

Exactly, my feelings, Dobbs.

 

[Vowelguy]

We know EDD left UConn and had her reasons, but for Husky fans to be gloating over Delaware's demise is just bad.

Find one post of mine where I say anything negative about EDD or her departure. Take your time, you'll be busy for a while.