Please don't put Uconn in Duke's bracket

[HuskyBro10]

Let me preface my post with this, I'd love nothing more then to go in and "Arizona circa 2011" (can I use that as a verb?) the out of Duke essentially at home.

I honestly think this team is going to be much better come tourney time. One of, if not the biggest issue is the scoring droughts Uconn goes into. You can argue until the cows come home why, but not scoring for 5-8 minutes in a game for the most part turns into an L.

I'm not trying to turn this into a "Shabazz pulls up with crazy shots" or "Lamb disappears" threads, but during those stretchs Shabazz does tend to drive, and pull up for a crazy spin/fadeaway jumpers where he draws contact.

I think one of the reasons Uconn made the historical run last year, but finished middle of the pack in the Big East, is thats a no call in the BE. In the NCAA tourney, or the NBA for that matter, you get that call 60% of the time (depending on how you sell it). I'd love to take a day off and just sit and run through hours of tape looking at dribble pentration last year and the % of fouls called in the BE, vs in the tourney; but via the eye test it looks much lower in the BE. I really think those scoring droughts won't be as bad, or at least as long once they are in the tourney- because a good shooter just needs to see that ball go through the hoop, even off a FT.

Which brings me full circle back to my original title, I think in Greensboro, against Duke (home game) the refs don't give Uconn those calls. I know that sounds silly, but I really think that could be our worst matchup, not because of talent- but just due to the lack of favorable calls we would see.

But I could be wrong, you never know (77-74 we weren't supposed to win then either).

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Duke in Greensboro we would get screwed by the refs no doubt about it. Duke's 3 point shooting would be a big area of concern as well.

That being said - give me Duke in Greensboro all day over Kentucky anywhere.

 

[Waquoit]

I agree with the OP, in a Br'er Rabbit sort of way of course.

 

[djct1999]

the best thing for this team is to get out of the big east. i think we are peaking at the right time and have the length, strength and atheleticism that most teams dont see. give me duke, unc, kentucky.....i dont care....... we win that game!!!!

 

[caw]

Going by the latest Lunardi (which is somewhat questionable), in terms of who I would want UConn to have in their bracket:

1's
SU/UK - no
UNC - not my preference
KU - best possible, IMO

2's
MSU - no
Duke/Missouri - not my preference
OSU - best possible, IMO

3's
Marquette/Georgetown - BE teams I'd pass on
Baylor/Michigan - both talented but beatable teams

4's
FSU/Wisconsin/Indiana - I don't care, UConn can beat any of those team (not that they will, but they can)
WSU - not impressed with them as much this year as last year

5's
UL - No BE team
UNLV/Temple - ehh
Florida - not impressed with them this year

6's
No to ND
Yes to anyone else

7's
Give me SDSU - them
St. Mary's, Gonzaga, New Mexico - seriously is UConn worse then those teams?

8's
No to Cincy
No to KSU
Give me Iowa State or Memphis (their coach sucks)

 

[ASweet3781]

A lot of UNC fans would be rooting against Duke there in Greensboro.

 

[August_West]

Please, Please,Please give me a Duke Matchup !! I don't care if the game is at Cameron, we beat this Duke team, no question. Did you see them against Temple earlier this year? Duke cannot stop the dribble drive. Boat, Napier and Lamb will eat them alive. Combine that with the athleticism of AO, AD and RS and we are Duke's worst nightmare. trust me on this, I have watched a lot of Duke games this year they want no part of this. We are their worst fear as a 10 seed if they are a 2.

 

[Mr. French]

I agree with August_West - I'd matchup with Duke over many of the other teams all day, even in Greensboro - hey, if we are an 7-8-9-10 seed, that's going to be a tough matchup either way 2nd round, if we win 1st round. I'd rather face Duke than almost any other team on the first 2 lines of seeds. Our athleticism and talent is not the problem, and hasn't been all year. It's execution and desire, IMO. If we are tourney ready, then we should be welcoming a date with Duke.

 

[HuskyFan32]

I'll take Cuse again. We played them close three times and has anyone beaten a team four times in one season?? No way

 

[champs99and04]

According to Duke and UNC fans, the Greensboro crowds during the first weekend are generally very anti-duke. UNC fans outnumber them and they all root against Dook.

I want this matchup. And I think the NCAA might make it happen.

 

[ASweet3781]

According to Duke and UNC fans, the Greensboro crowds during the first weekend are generally very anti-duke. UNC fans outnumber them and they all root against Dook.

I want this matchup. And I think the NCAA might make it happen.

But will our guards, especially Lamb, want to guard the perimeter as Dook fires up 30 3's? Don't know.

 

[B1GEast]

anyone anytime, bring it baby, don't care where or who we have to play

 

[mauconnfan]

You won't get calls against Duke anywhere but it would be laughable in NC.....having said that they are very beatable!!! Agreed with the posters who see how unathletic they are.......

Last night there was a block on the blond brother clearly and they called a charge on the VT player and VT took a charge on Rivers clearly a couple plays later and they called it a block....drives me crazy how they s**k K's rod!!!!

 

[seanmc94]

Duke would be a favorable matchup for UCONN.

 

[UConnSwag11]

wherever UConn plays, we need to have as many fans there as we can to help to them

 

[UConnSwag11]

I'll take Cuse again. We played them close three times and has anyone beaten a team four times in one season?? No way

yeah but we said the same thing about 3 times

 

[Brochacho]

Duke looks horrible right now, would love to see them on UConn's side.

 

[champs99and04]

I think UConn matches up well with Duke. Normally I'd be concerned about them going off on against us, but I thought the defensive rotations were much better during the Big East tournament. If we can keep that up I like our chances.

 

[orangehomer]

i definitely think the committee will rig a uconn-duke game if they can, it would be sunday afternoon right? however, i don't think you land as a 7-10 i think 8-9 is more likely, in which case i think they will rig a uconn-UNC game for sunday, which would get huge ratings. i look at any game you guys play basically as a pick'em, it feels like you can beat anyone or lose the 8-9 game. and that is not meant as disrespect.

 

[mauconnfan]

None taken orangehomer.......iI think most agree

 

[caw]

i definitely think the committee will rig a uconn-duke game if they can, it would be sunday afternoon right? however, i don't think you land as a 7-10 i think 8-9 is more likely, in which case i think they will rig a uconn-UNC game for sunday, which would get huge ratings. i look at any game you guys play basically as a pick'em, it feels like you can beat anyone or lose the 8-9 game. and that is not meant as disrespect.

UConn can probably beat any team in the tournament and lose to any team 12-seeded or lower. If UConn plays a full 40 well, they probably win, if not...

 

[Ts5034]

I just want to avoid the 8/9 game. I dont feel comfortable having to take on any of those projected #1 seeds in round two.

 

[Castlevania]

I hope UConn plays in Greensboro. I live here and would buy some tickets immediately.

 

[DogMania]

I just want to avoid the 8/9 game. I dont feel comfortable having to take on any of those projected #1 seeds in round two.

Here are the likely 1s - UK, UNC, SU & KU

Here are the likely 2s - OSU, Mizzu, MSU & Duke

The best case scenario would be to end up a 10 seed in the East and face #2 Duke, if they get by the 7 seed, even though it's in Greensboro and then face SU in Boston if we manage to get by the 3 seed. Of the other 3 2-seeds they each pose match-up challenges, but I'd go MSU, OSU then Mizzu.

If we end up a 9 seed, you know we're not going to be in SU's region so I'd go UNC (though having to play them in Greensboro would be a tall order), then KU followed by UK.

If you ask me, it's about time we got a favorable location as a low seed. We seem to all too often find ourselves playing in hostile arenas regardless if we are high or low seeds. I'm fine with playing an overrated dook team in Greensboro especially if the trade off is getting seeded in Boston with a 4th shot at beating SU. As a few have pointed out, it's really hard to beat a team 4Xs. Psychologically, a team that knows they barely got by a team 2 out of the 3 times they faced them, will go into that game feeling it's unfair to have to face that team a 4th time, compared to feeling if the beat them 3 times they can beat them a 4th. As much as they deny it, the NCAA Committee seems to love creating great TV match-ups. So a UConn vs Dook 2nd round game with a shot at a possible SU vs UConn regional match-up would seem to make too much sense. The one problem I have with this is they usually match the weaker 2s against the stronger 1s, so if UConn were to get Dook at a 10, then Dook is more likely to get seeded against UK since I see Dook as the weakest of the 2 seeds. I'm sure CBS wouldn't mind a 9th or 10th seeded UConn Team in a rematch against #1 seeded UK. Lunardi has us a 9 in the Midwest that would match us up against UK in the 2nd round game if we get by the 8 seed.

When you look at Lunardi's 9s, Virginia, Alabama, Iowa St, you can bet whatever 1-seed that were to get us, would not be happy to see UConn on that 9 line.

I guess we'll find out our draw tomorrow night. I just hope we get favorable match-ups and have a good chance to make it to the 2nd week. Their disappointing conference play put them into this situation where they will face a very good team day one and a big time one in the 2nd round if they get that far. If they get by those two, the S-16 game would be a lower seed than their R-32 game.

 

[nycscooby]

My guess is we're in the 8/9 game as the 8th seed in the East and we'll play winner of Dook/UNC in second round. Cuse going out west.