Not Yet!

[cferraro04]

I originally posted this in the Game 7 Analysis thread, but I thought it deserved its own thread because there is plenty to discuss regarding this subject. Bone Dog already responded to this post, so I will bring over his response; unfortunately, it will be under my name; however, I will give credit to him for the post.

I was reading some posts following the Texas sweep of both UCLA and South Carolina in an early-season tournament. Of course, since Texas beat the number 2 and the number 3 ranked teams, the posters are wondering if Texas should be ranked number one. That was a head scratcher for me. As long as UConn stays undefeated, there is no way they should relinquish the number one spot. What I got out of the conversation was two different things: 1. South Carolina and UCLA are not as good as they were last year. 2. Texas is for real. The remaining question: Even without Paige, is UConn better than it was last year? My answer is, not yet! I believe that as the season goes on, and I believe we may be playing this season without the services of Ice Brady and/or Morgan Cheli, UConn will be better than last year's version of the Huskies.

However, looking back at last year, the big three were Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and Sarah Strong. This year's version of the Huskies has Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong, and Blanca Quinones. The loss of Paige is monumental but not insurmountable. Is Azzi Fudd better than last year? Yes, check that box. Is Azzi Fudd as good as Paige was last year? Not yet! Is Sarah Strong better than last year's version of herself? Absolutely! Check that box for sure. Is Blanca Quinones as good as Azzi was last year? Not yet...but the sky is the limit with Blanca, and by the end of the year, I believe we will be checking that box too. But our big three have help this year: Serah Williams is better than Jana was last year, and we still have Jana coming off the bench; this year's version of KK is better than last year's version. Our remaining bench players, Ashlynn, Ayanna, Gandy, Kelis, Kayleigh, and Allie, offer us more depth than last year. Depth is important to keep our starters freshwhich helps them to perform optimally in the postseason.

So, the short answer is, yes, UConn is better this year than last year and will continue to get better.

​

 

[cferraro04]

Here is Bone Dog's response from the other thread:

"I’m right there with you, Sensei. I’d add this distinction that this year’s team in November looks to be at least as good as last year’s November team. Depth is simply better.

Sarah looks to be a lot more assertive, March level assertive. And Azzi also seems to be playing at her March level with even better defensive intensity. This doesn’t replace Paige, of course, since she played March basketball in November every season. But it shifts the equation quite a bit. And the wild card is Blanca, whose ceiling is still untested but could eventually be as high as Sarah’s. Maybe not this season, but eventually.

And depth is much better, not just to replace Kaitlyn — though Geno may already have achieved this by adding Kayleigh — but also to expand his overall scoring options with Allie and Serah. Ash’s scoring is down, but I doubt that will last. And Serah’s scoring doesn’t seem to have come online yet, but that won’t last. We don’t need either of them to average 20pts. 8-10 per game is more than enough to support the mains. And Serah may well surprise everyone soon enough. And if KK and Kayleigh average 5-7pts each, this is a diverse arsenal.

And the defensive pressure we’ve seen so far is at least the equal of last November.

So, yes, I think this year’s team is as good as last year’s and may turn out to be better in March. Of course, this is no sort of guarantee since anything can happen. But the current trajectory looks very promising indeed".

 

[Skeets]

Here is a simple truth, after losing a star, if UConn could not be as good or better in the following years then the total number of NCs would be 1, in 1995. The fact of the matter is existing players get better, new talent comes in and life goes on. It didn't happen once, it's been going on for 30 years. Don't worry, be happy.

 

[BBallF]

The Big 3 right now is Azzi, Sarah and Allie as of last night. If the third part of the equation becomes a combination of Allie/Blanca/Serah that would work also. We need a consistent third scorer, defender and floor player to have a third leg and we may not get exactly that but something close to it from a combination of other players.

 

[cferraro04]

Here is a simple truth, after losing a star, if UConn could not be as good or better in the following years then the total number of NCs would be 1, in 1995. The fact of the matter is existing players get better, new talent comes in and life goes on. It didn't happen once, it's been going on for 30 years. Don't worry, be happy.

Tell that to the team that followed the exit of the Fantastic Four - Sue, Swin, Tamika, and Asjha...where the mantra became "We have Diana, and they don't". That team was not better, but DT put them on her back and carried them to the promised land.

Tell that to the team that was left behind when DT went to the "W"...they were not better

Tell that to the former #2 South Carolina and #3UCLA teams, who are not better than they were last year...and both recently succumbed to the Texas Longhorns, who are probably better than last year.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Not much in this thread is arguable, but I will play devil's advocate on the topic of rankings. With wins over #2 and #3, I'd have no problem seeing Texas voted #1; I don't think they're the best and I don't think they'll be there at the end of the season but to steal a line from the 2023 Purdue men's team, they have an argument for best "body of work" at this point.

 

[RedStickHusky]

The Big 3 right now is Azzi, Sarah and Allie as of last night. If the third part of the equation becomes a combination of Allie/Blanca/Serah that would work also. We need a consistent third scorer, defender and floor player to have a third leg and we may not get exactly that but something close to it from a combination of other players.

We'll get the odd point from K9, Ash as well. 104 yesterday with a high scorer of 16; we can live with that.

 

[Bigboote]

The Big 3 right now is Azzi, Sarah and Allie as of last night. If the third part of the equation becomes a combination of Allie/Blanca/Serah that would work also. We need a consistent third scorer, defender and floor player to have a third leg and we may not get exactly that but something close to it from a combination of other players.

I'd argue that the Big Three are Azzi, Sarah, and by committee. (The high-three last night were Allie, Sarah, and Ashlynn.) There will be many good-scoring games among Serah, KK, Ashlynn, Allie, Kayleigh, and Blanca. I don't discount most of the others, but those I named have been getting most of the playing time, and we don't know the availability of Morgan and Ice.

 

[browns]

Yes this team is better..Final Four weekend Azzi and Sara were the stars Paige not so much..Uconn has 3 or 4 players that could produce as much as Paige did that weekend
Watching Texas play it's imperative the Sareh or Jana develop their post game..Texas looked awfully big and strong and how could you argue they aren't the #1 team after taking down #2and 3 but Uconn will stay #1 albeit Texas will get some votes

 

[cookie447]

O, please! If Paige didn’t score a point on Final Four Weekend, her contributions still would have been immeasurable. Her presence and leadership assured our championship. There’s a lot more to great team basketball than just scoring points!

 

[EricLA]

I know we do love to discuss if we are better than we were last year, but really, it's irrelevant. All we need to do is be better than the 6 other teams we face in the NCAA's! 😁

 

[my2cents]

To me, it's not important if this years team is better than last year. All I know is this team is the best team in WCB right now. Why?
Because Strong and Fudd are two of the best players in college, and our depth has weapons all over the floor.

 

[WBBZen]

Yes this team is better..Final Four weekend Azzi and Sara were the stars Paige not so much..Uconn has 3 or 4 players that could produce as much as Paige did that weekend
Watching Texas play it's imperative the Sareh or Jana develop their post game..Texas looked awfully big and strong and how could you argue they aren't the #1 team after taking down #2and 3 but Uconn will stay #1 albeit Texas will get some votes

This feels like rage bait I would get on platforms outside of Boneyard. Azzi and Sarah may have had the stat line, but make no mistake, they were able to have that stat line because of Paige's gravity and pulling at least 2 defenders every time she had the ball. Put some respect on Paige's name please.

 

[Longtime fan]

I originally posted this in the Game 7 Analysis thread, but I thought it deserved its own thread because there is plenty to discuss regarding this subject. Bone Dog already responded to this post, so I will bring over his response; unfortunately, it will be under my name; however, I will give credit to him for the post.

I was reading some posts following the Texas sweep of both UCLA and South Carolina in an early-season tournament. Of course, since Texas beat the number 2 and the number 3 ranked teams, the posters are wondering if Texas should be ranked number one. That was a head scratcher for me. As long as UConn stays undefeated, there is no way they should relinquish the number one spot. What I got out of the conversation was two different things: 1. South Carolina and UCLA are not as good as they were last year. 2. Texas is for real. The remaining question: Even without Paige, is UConn better than it was last year? My answer is, not yet! I believe that as the season goes on, and I believe we may be playing this season without the services of Ice Brady and/or Morgan Cheli, UConn will be better than last year's version of the Huskies.

However, looking back at last year, the big three were Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and Sarah Strong. This year's version of the Huskies has Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong, and Blanca Quinones. The loss of Paige is monumental but not insurmountable. Is Azzi Fudd better than last year? Yes, check that box. Is Azzi Fudd as good as Paige was last year? Not yet! Is Sarah Strong better than last year's version of herself? Absolutely! Check that box for sure. Is Blanca Quinones as good as Azzi was last year? Not yet...but the sky is the limit with Blanca, and by the end of the year, I believe we will be checking that box too. But our big three have help this year: Serah Williams is better than Jana was last year, and we still have Jana coming off the bench; this year's version of KK is better than last year's version. Our remaining bench players, Ashlynn, Ayanna, Gandy, Kelis, Kayleigh, and Allie, offer us more depth than last year. Depth is important to keep our starters freshwhich helps them to perform optimally in the postseason.

So, the short answer is, yes, UConn is better this year than last year and will continue to get better

​

I think your analysis is very good. A couple of reactions: I think we are all giving the " greatness" handle to Blanca far too soon. She is athletic and talented, no doubt. But she is also more "lost than found." Whether it is quick foul trouble, turnovers, offensive fouls ( mainly charges), she is still far removed from reliablity. True, we are only 6 games into the season, but she has only shown sparks of turning the corner to being that third unstoppable force. Not sure Serah Williams is the upgrade you describe. Not yet. She doesn't seem to perform well at all , under the basket, when challenged. I tend to agree with you about Ice Brady and Morgan. And , personally, I think Ice is ( potentially) better than either Williams or Jana. Morgan will have a tough time earning playing time, because I don't see her returning until late January at best. Too bad. As for Texas, they are for real. And they have another top rated wing joining them next season....one of the best High School players in the country.

 

[browns]

This feels like rage bait I would get on platforms outside of Boneyard. Azzi and Sarah may have had the stat line, but make no mistake, they were able to have that stat line because of Paige's gravity and pulling at least 2 defenders every time she had the ball. Put some respect on Paige's name please.

The performance that Azzi and Sarah put on completely dominating those 2 games not just the stats speaks for itself My point is that anyone of Allie, Ash,Blanca,Serah or even Heckle to pick from could be the 3rd scorer this year and Uconn wins as long as Azzi and Sarah play their game

 

[SCNCHuskie]

As far as can you justify Texas be ranked number one, I would say absolutely. However, the prevailing thinking is generally the defending national champion that starts the year ranked number one holds that position until they suffer a loss, whether this is fair or not is arguable. If you look at the two bodies of work, Texas beat the number two and the number three ranked teams on a neutral court. UConn’s best win was against the number six ranked team on their home court by three. Therefore, you can make the argument that Texas deserves to be number one. However, does it really matter at this point in the season?

 

[Dogdude]

I'd argue that the Big Three are Azzi, Sarah, and by committee. (The high-three last night were Allie, Sarah, and Ashlynn.) There will be many good-scoring games among Serah, KK, Ashlynn, Allie, Kayleigh, and Blanca. I don't discount most of the others, but those I named have been getting most of the playing time, and we don't know the availability of Morgan and Ice.

I'm also not sold on the idea of one of the big three being a specific player every night. It will be one or another bouncing up, depending in who has the hot hand. That we have arguably about 5 who could be the third, I'd say we're in better shape than if we only had the three reliable scorers.

 

[cferraro04]

I think that until the reigning national champions lose, they retain the number one spot. Texas proved that they were the number two team in the country by beating the number two team. South Carolina deserves to drop a spot. Texas has not proven that they are the best team in the country...they have only proven that South Carolina at this point in the season does not deserve to be the number two team in the country. To take the number one ranking away from UConn at this point in the season would be like cutting someone off at the knees. UConn has been crushing everybody withewidfgbIf Texas, or anybody else wants the number one ranking, they need to go through UConn. It would not surprise me if South Carolina drops to number 3 and UCLA drops to number 4. The new rankings according to the AP poll are: UConn, Texas, South Carolina, and UCLA (as it should be) GO HUSKIES!!!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I have yet to read more than the first 8 posts, but I wanted to get my digs in before senility sweeps them away! I did not think going in that SC was 2 and even more stronly thay UCLA was not the 3. SC has added a couple of talents, but last years team and those large number of players still left strike me as a cut below predecessor teams. UCLA got gutted after the NCAAs and still have Betts but they also have Cori Close (yeah, yeah Coach of the Year, an award that's past around like rock candy) who talks the talk but the walk not so much.

 

[DemonDeac22]

Not much in this thread is arguable, but I will play devil's advocate on the topic of rankings. With wins over #2 and #3, I'd have no problem seeing Texas voted #1; I don't think they're the best and I don't think they'll be there at the end of the season but to steal a line from the 2023 Purdue men's team, they have an argument for best "body of work" at this point.

Agree with you if the voters had Texas as #1 - not a problem. But don’t the ratings after only after only 6 games have to include something from last season net of the player pluses/minuses? I would think the voters have to include the recent prior year history and who is back from that year in their analysis at least until the current season has some weight to it.

 

[RedStickHusky]

I think that until the reigning national champions lose, they retain the number one spot. Texas proved that they were the number two team in the country by beating the number two team. South Carolina deserves to drop a spot. Texas has not proven that they are the best team in the country...they have only proven that South Carolina at this point in the season does not deserve to be the number two team in the country. To take the number one ranking away from UConn at this point in the season would be like cutting someone off at the knees. UConn has been crushing everybody withewidfgbIf Texas, or anybody else wants the number one ranking, they need to go through UConn. It would not surprise me if South Carolina drops to number 3 and UCLA drops to number 4. The new rankings according to the AP poll are: UConn, Texas, South Carolina, and UCLA (as it should be) GO HUSKIES!!!

Many people think this way... Many others don't. I suppose in this case the voters have the opinions that count. Personally, I think the fact that UConn won last year should have no effect on this years poll. Texas's wins over SC and UCLA are better than UConn's win over Mich. and I would not complain if they were #1 this week (as opposed to the way you think it should be). I say this also because I know that being #1 this week is a totally meaningless distinction.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Agree with you if the voters had Texas as #1 - not a problem. But don’t the ratings after only after only 6 games have to include something from last season net of the player pluses/minuses? I would think the voters have to include the recent prior year history and who is back from that year in their analysis at least until the current season has some weight to it.

As far as I know, the voters don't "have" to do anything, but it's fair to ask what they do use in the early season. If asked, I'd advocate for not doing polls until conference play started.

 

[FanSince17]

Many people think this way... Many others don't. I suppose in this case the voters have the opinions that count. Personally, I think the fact that UConn won last year should have no effect on this years poll. Texas's wins over SC and UCLA are better than UConn's win over Mich. and I would not complain if they were #1 this week (as opposed to the way you think it should be). I say this also because I know that being #1 this week is a totally meaningless distinction.

Of course last year, preseason, summer play, etc all goes into the ratings. Unequivocally UConn women are the best team in the NCAA until proven otherwise. Nothing else matters. To put anybody else at #1 is an affront to the sport. It’s like a boxing belt. You have it until somebody takes it from you.

 

[Skeets]

Tell that to the team that followed the exit of the Fantastic Four - Sue, Swin, Tamika, and Asjha...where the mantra became "We have Diana, and they don't". That team was not better, but DT put them on her back and carried them to the promised land.

Tell that to the team that was left behind when DT went to the "W"...they were not better

Tell that to the former #2 South Carolina and #3UCLA teams, who are not better than they were last year...and both recently succumbed to the Texas Longhorns, who are probably better than last year.

Exactly why I said the following years, not the following year, singular. Come on, we can't win every year, or can we?

 

[RedStickHusky]

Of course last year, preseason, summer play, etc all goes into the ratings. Unequivocally UConn women are the best team in the NCAA until proven otherwise. Nothing else matters. To put anybody else at #1 is an affront to the sport. It’s like a boxing belt. You have it until somebody takes it from you.

What you're describing sounds like a racquetball ladder (or maybe boxing). Sports that don't have a season ending championship. In basketball "best team" is fan made bs. You should have said "nothing else matters less". In basketball there is a champion and you win that title in April. You don't get voted champion. Btw, calling an OPINION different from yours an affront says more about you than it does about the rankings. Texas got 10 of 32 #1 votes; are those 10 affronts to the sport?