OT: Notre Dame Was Really Good

[CONN78SEJ]

2001-02 UCONN had a tie game with around 2 minutes to go against West Virginia IIRC. Does that close game make them not dominant?

And Notre Dame was missing an All-American starting center without a quality backup so I don't think it's fair to discredit them for that one game. Plus they went up against probably one of the top 3-4 teams of all time. Connecticut absolutely dominated Notre Dame in the paint without Achonwa there, with Stewart/Dolson combining for 38 points, 25 boards, 11 assists and 5 blocks. As a team UCONN won the rebound margin by 23. UCONN likely wins even with a healthy Achonwa but UCONN's game plan is markedly different with her there.

Your logic is as laughable as the 2003 National Championship game when heavily favored Tennessee was soundly beaten by a very young UConn team that had graduated 4 All American Seniors the year before. Pat Summitt’s most bitter loss I can ever remember.

 

[bballnut90]

Your logic is as laughable as the 2003 National Championship game when heavily favored Tennessee was soundly beaten by a very young UConn team that had graduated 4 All American Seniors the year before. Pat Summitt’s most bitter loss I can ever remember.

....so no response with any substance to what I posted aside from randomly bringing up something completely off topic?

 

[bbsamjj]

2000-2001 team had two single digit regular season wins, a regular season loss to Rutgers and a Big East tourney loss to UConn.

Not that different to 13-14 with two single digit regular season wins and a NCAA tourney loss to UConn.

The difference between 2001 and 2014 is that major injuries hit UConn in 2001 and the major injury hit ND in 2014.

I believe both of the 2000-2001 ND losses were by 1 pt? So they lost 2 games that year by a combined 2 points? (On the RU end, Tammy Sutton Brown was maddeningly inconsistent, but she always showed up against Ruth Riley).

 

[SimpleDawg]

I think they'll improve this year. Mabrey, Brunelle, Miles, and Westbeld is a core that should be better than 10-10. And they'll grow into better players next year as they become sophomore or juniors. I think a main issue is defense rather than offense, allowing 70 points per game. And there were some injuries. Won't be elite, but I think 13-5 or 12-6 in conference is a fair prediction.

They're in a better spot than we are, for sure. Seems like they can get some Top 30 recruits even after Muffet. Doesn't look like we'll get any Top 30 recruits as far as I can see, and we're down to pretty much Vic's remaining players as anyone I would count on next year besides Anastasia Hayes.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

I think they'll improve this year. Mabrey, Brunelle, Miles, and Westbeld is a core that should be better than 10-10. And they'll grow into better players next year as they become sophomore or juniors. I think a main issue is defense rather than offense, allowing 70 points per game. And there were some injuries. Won't be elite, but I think 13-5 or 12-6 in conference is a fair prediction.

They're in a better spot than we are, for sure. Seems like they can get some Top 30 recruits even after Muffet. Doesn't look like we'll get any Top 30 recruits as far as I can see, and we're down to pretty much Vic's remaining players as anyone I would count on next year besides Anastasia Hayes.

ND had a lot more history and prestige with their university than us. I don’t see us ever getting back to the level of FF. At least our baseball team winning this year takes a little of the bad taste out of my mouth from 2018.

 

[HuskyNan]

I think they'll improve this year. Mabrey, Brunelle, Miles, and Westbeld is a core that should be better than 10-10. And they'll grow into better players next year as they become sophomore or juniors. I think a main issue is defense rather than offense, allowing 70 points per game. And there were some injuries. Won't be elite, but I think 13-5 or 12-6 in conference is a fair prediction.

They're in a better spot than we are, for sure. Seems like they can get some Top 30 recruits even after Muffet. Doesn't look like we'll get any Top 30 recruits as far as I can see, and we're down to pretty much Vic's remaining players as anyone I would count on next year besides Anastasia Hayes.

If getting highly regarded recruits was all it took to be successful, Holly Warlick would have done a lot better than she did

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Don't think Stanford really "came back." They haven't lost their coach, and as we all know.... women's basketball is all about the coach. As long you don't lose your coach you can come back.

Funny how Nebraska, Xavier, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Cal Berk all used to be pretty good at women's basketball in the early 10s and some even before that. Recently Notre Dame, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Washington, and possibly Baylor with Mulkey gone...... and I wouldn't be surprised if Oregon fades away as well.

Just the strangest NCAA sport.

According to Coach Geno, "there are two kinds of coaches: those that recruit good players, and those that get fired."

 

[Fairfield Fan]

If getting highly regarded recruits was all it took to be successful, Holly Warlick would have done a lot better than she did

Was HW a major fail or what? Hard to play that poorly with that caliber of raw talent.

 

[HopJim]

If getting highly regarded recruits was all it took to be successful, Holly Warlick would have done a lot better than she did

These were classic coaching battles. During the time span where ND beat UConn 7 out of 8 games, you saw some of the best college coaching in history. McGraw was relentless in countering most of Geno's moves. It was only after Geno began to get his bigs, Stew and Dolson, more involved did UConn start their run. With the current set of bigs, wonder if Geno will bring back some of the offense from those days.

 

[Waquoit]

So do we know why they ran Muffet out of town all of a sudden?

 

[JellyBean]

That was an epic moment. That competitive level was off the charts!! It was great for women's basketball. It was great for both programs. Hopefully ND gets back to that level. They have a solid coach and I just hope that the AD, the fans, and their supporters are patient.

 

[SimpleDawg]

If getting highly regarded recruits was all it took to be successful, Holly Warlick would have done a lot better than she did

I'm just saying I think they'll be better, not that they'll reach the levels of Muffet.

 

[Dillon77]

So do we know why they ran Muffet out of town all of a sudden

I interupt this beach vacation (briefly) to make sure this "question" does not head in a strange direction.
- By "they," I presume you mean Fr. John Jenkins, president of ND, and Jack Swarbrick, the AD.
They didn't run Muffet "out of town" in a literal or figurative sense. MM was in a situation to tell Swarbrick when she wanted to leave and they touched base post-season. 2020 was the the time.
- She's still around, teaching a leadership course in the Mendoza School of Business (which Sam Brunelle has taken) and is very involved in various community projects. When Niele and staff were on the recruiting trail, she brought the team to work at food banks,

 

[Waquoit]

Considering her status as an all-time great coach, her good-bye was very underwhelming. She wasn't so much celebrated as thanked for her service. I still find it curious.

 

[HuskyNan]

Considering her status as an all-time great coach, her good-bye was very underwhelming. She wasn't so much celebrated as thanked for her service. I still find it curious.

Maybe it’s what she wanted. Despite the vitriolic comments from some UConn fans, she really is a nice person that’s more interested in promoting her team than herself. Sound like Geno and their mentor, Jim Foster.

I believe she was under some kind of stress in recent years that may have colored her behavior. Remember, Pat Summit’s odd behavior turned out to be Alzheimer’s. I’m NOT saying that’s the case here, just that people may want to be less judgdy because they may not have all the facts.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Maybe it’s what she wanted. Despite the vitriolic comment from some UConn fans, she really is a nice person that’s more interested in promoting her team than herself. Sound like Geno and their mentor, Jim Foster.

I believe she was under some kind of stress in recent years that may have colored her behavior. Remember, it turned out Pat Summit’s odd behavior turned out to be Alzheimer’s. I’m NOT saying that’s the case here, just that people may want to be less judgdy because they may not have all the facts.

I am not at all surprised by Pat Summit's bizarre behavior after hearing of her Alzheimer's diagnosis. Having seen one of my parents decline with Alzheimer's, with much of the behavioral and emotional changes coming even before the diagnosis, I'm not surprised. I don't think Summit would have acted as she did at all were it not for the disease. Not a cheap shot. Just coming from having seen how that disease works from close up and painful.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Considering her status as an all-time great coach, her good-bye was very underwhelming. She wasn't so much celebrated as thanked for her service. I still find it curious.

Back in friendlier days……..

 

[uconnfan68]

These were classic coaching battles. During the time span where ND beat UConn 7 out of 8 games, you saw some of the best college coaching in history. McGraw was relentless in countering most of Geno's moves. It was only after Geno began to get his bigs, Stew and Dolson, more involved did UConn start their run. With the current set of bigs, wonder if Geno will bring back some of the offense from those days.

Why do I always here ND wins 7 of 8, but never about their 12 losses in a row just before that? And the 38-13 record UConn has against them? So 37-5 without that little fluke? Does that sound like a rivalry? Do you think ND wants any part of UConn for the next few years?

 

[fireford]

Why do I always here ND wins 7 of 8, but never about their 12 losses in a row just before that? And the 38-13 record UConn has against them? So 37-5 without that little fluke? Does that sound like a rivalry? Do you think ND wants any part of UConn for the next few years?

You hear about it because a run like that against Uconn is unprecedented in the "golden era" of Uconn basketball. Uconn has had such dominance over most everyone it's the losses that are talked about. Uconn has beaten St John''s like 100 of their last 101 but you always hear how St John's ended their 99 home court winning streak in 2012. How many people remember Uconn beat Miss St by 50 in the 2016 tournament? Hardly anyone because you always hear about the 2017 FF loss that ended Uconn's 111 game winning streak.
Let's not also forgot ND has eliminated Uconn 5 times in the FF in the last 20 years. How many other teams can say that? Not just stinging losses because they were big games but the way they were lost. Then you supposedly had ND players shouting things into Uconn's locker room after big wins. Muffet dancing the jig and having testy exchanges with Geno through the media. Rivalries aren't always created through wins and losses but also through events that fuel animosity as well.

 

[uconnfan68]

You hear about it because a run like that against Uconn is unprecedented in the "golden era" of Uconn basketball. Uconn has had such dominance over most everyone it's the losses that are talked about. Uconn has beaten St John''s like 100 of their last 101 but you always hear how St John's ended their 99 home court winning streak in 2012. How many people remember Uconn beat Miss St by 50 in the 2016 tournament? Hardly anyone because you always hear about the 2017 FF loss that ended Uconn's 111 game winning streak.
Let's not also forgot ND has eliminated Uconn 5 times in the FF in the last 20 years. How many other teams can say that? Not just stinging losses because they were big games but the way they were lost. Then you supposedly had ND players shouting things into Uconn's locker room after big wins. Muffet dancing the jig and having testy exchanges with Geno through the media. Rivalries aren't always created through wins and losses but also through events that fuel animosity as well.

Well, it fueled animosity for me. Detest all things ND… and they used to be my dream school.

 

[jdote33]

Without a doubt one of the best rivalries in sports this century.
The Bria vs Skylar matchup used to be unreal. I would watch and think, these are the two best guards in the country even when Bria was only a sophomore and Skylar was a junior. Bria would make a play, then Sky would block her shot. It was like Dragon Ball Z, super sayin type stuff. They both played at such a high level.
Unfortunately, I don't remember the 00-01 battles, including the big east tournament classic and uconn's ncaa loss. I wasn't as big of a fan at the time, though a sibling was at UConn at the time and was surprised when they lost in the tournament. But I think ND beat them by double figures in the regular season that year. I know Sue said on Inside the NBA that it was her most heartbreaking loss. I always wonder if that ND team was just a tough matchup for Uconn. I know Dee shot terribly that game but ND may have just been better that season (I know Uconn was injured as well).
Lastly, I like ND's team this year a lot. I think Niele Ivey will be better in year two. Last year was definitely a weird year to take over such a historic program. They are unproven and young but Sonia Cintron and Oliva Miles is a pretty good start in the backcourt. Westbeld had a really good year last year and should only improve. And then Sam Brunelle and getting back Natalija Marshall should help out their frontline. They also have some other good pieces like Dara Mabrey and Anaya Peoples. They may be a bit young to seriously contend this year, but I do think they should be a top 15 team.