Predictions for Big Sunday (Dec 2)

[hussybulldog]

Whoever won this Sunday will have ultimate revenge in the NCAA final, like last year.

 

[eebmg]

Interesting. Summing the poll results up ND (30) / CT (16) Nearly 2 to 1.

 

[Tonyc]

Im expecting UConn to build a big lead in this game and in the 4th qtr ND will make a come back and fall short. CW and MW will be the difference.

 

[Bama fan]

Im expecting UConn to build a big lead in this game and in the 4th qtr ND will make a come back and fall short. CW and MW will be the difference.

TonyC, you should consider amending the spelling of your custom title. It should be Optimist Prime. But your expectation is my fond hope! Go Huskies!

 

[WNBA 09]

ND beat #14 Ranked Iowa and POY candidate Megan Gustafson By 34. 105-71 ouch

 

[ucbart]

I have a mild dislike for Syracuse, due to UCONN WBB (They beat us back in 1996 or something, then put highlights of that game on the cover of their media guide for the next 10 years. And they tried to physically abuse us back in the Maya era. And they wouldn't give Stewie a homecoming game. And their color, of course). I did visit the Syracuse campus this summer with my son, checked out the Carrier Dome, etc. Respect (unlike Texas, OSU, TN), but not "like."

My daughter went to school at Clemson, plus my company at the time had a luxury box at Death Valley, so I saw many games there. OMG I don't want to tell you what she calls the Gamecocks. Anyway, I have a small soft spot for the C-L-E-M-(P)-S-O----Nnnn Tigers (a VERY small soft spot, since I had to put the Clemson logo as my Facebook cover photo for a month after losing a bet with my daughter on the OU-Clemson playoff game 3 years ago). I prefer to think of their colors as purple with orange trim.

Illinois - who cares?

I live in and I'm the managing partner of a craft beer bar/gastro pub in downtown Syracuse. Wearing UCONN gear everywhere sure turns some heads. I will say, being a central NY'er my entire life......the campus is really cool and beautiful. And yes, I got to the Carrier Dome often.....I support women's basketball as a whole and get to as many games as possible.

 

[Ozimoto]

I always tend to be a pessimist for these kinds of games. Improves my attitude if I'm right and really improves it when I'm wrong. Comes from being a WVU football fan where they just can never win that one game that puts them over the top. Anyway, I just don't see the Huskies winning this game. As the year moves along that may change as MW and CW continue to mesh with the big three.

Notre Dame 95. UConn 80.

If the fouls are as unbalanced Sunday as they were last night in the ND Iowa game it could be really ugly.

 

[Carnac]

Here's a prediction for Sunday. Geno had better put his BEST 1 on 1 defender on Ogunbowale the ENTIRE game, whoever she is (including Coombs). You CANNOT give her open looks at the basket, she'll kill you. She was making it look real easy last night. Iowa had as much of a chance of stopping her as I did. Make someone else beat you, not her.

What ever MM said to them at halftime, they responded to. ND came out in the 3rd qtr running lay up lines, and Iowa was powerless to stop them. The game got away from the Hawkeyes real quick in the 3rd quarter.

 

[VAMike23]

ND 83
UCONN 69

 

[DallasBUFan]

We're talking apples and oranges. You're talking about what a coach can "claim" on her resume. I'm talking about a head coach's record as a head coach.

I can assure you no one is talking about Tonya Cardoza's multiple national championships as a coach.

Cool!

 

[JellyBean]

Nice round of games this Sunday.
Mississippi over Texas
UConn beating Notre Dame
South Carolina over Baylor


Go, Huskies!!

 

[Conndog]

Fouls are going to hurt UConn, they don't have the depth they'll need especially if refs are calling it close. I expect Norte Dame to really push it down low. Who comes in for UConn if any of starting 5 has to sit- Irwin?

 

[dcfan]

I believe UConn will win comfortably 88-80 after enjoying a double digit lead until the last two minutes when Geno “empties the bench” and Muffet doesn’t have the “you know what’s” to match him and leaves some regulars in.

Part of my optimism is fueled by Purdue’s 74-63 win over #21 ranked Miami tonight. Let’s see, how much did we beat Purdue by? Oh yeah, by 46 points! I know I’m using some fuzzy math, but everything is a little fuzzy at the beginning of the season, so why not focus on some really optimistic numbers?

The better comparison is the results of the DePaul game. Both teams blew DePaul out of the water, but ND did it on the road without Mabrey and with its starting five (including Nixon) only averaging 27.6 minutes. UConn had all of its starters on hand and they averaged 32.8 minutes in the win. Does not bode well for UConn . . .

 

[CPD016]

Would I be shocked if we won - No - Just pleasantly surprised. In jeopardy is the regular season win streak which includes the road win streak

 

[dcfan]

Fouls are going to hurt UConn, they don't have the depth they'll need especially if refs are calling it close. I expect Norte Dame to really push it down low. Who comes in for UConn if any of starting 5 has to sit- Irwin?

Agreed. I thought it was interesting to read the Iowa coach's explanation for the disparity in fouls. She didn't whine about the refs, she said that ND was rebounding so well that it too often lead to Iowa's players being out of position and fouling. That's what I expect will happen to UConn on Sunday . . . no match for Shepard, Turner and Young on the boards.

 

[CL82]

I think I know all about CD's contributions to the program. Thanks.

If Chris ever becomes a head coach she will start off with zero national championships as a head coach. She has of course played a major role in the program's 11 national championships to date. As Geno often says, he would have none without her.

At this point, I don't see her becoming a head coach, other than a short term gig at UConn to aid the transition. What do you think?

 

[BrianAnt]

In all reality who is going to stop Turner and Shepard from getting offensive rebounds and second-chance points?
Shepard is too strong and smart for what Uconn has to offer at the post and MM is the type of coach to continue to go inside and make Uconn look like a fool.

Also, Uconn has always tried putting one player on Arike for the whole night and that still has not worked out for you it does not matter who is guarding Arike she is still going to get her points.

something tells me Uconn is not going to learn from last year and they are going to forget about Jackie Young, which will end up bad for them because Jackie's newfound confidence this year is doing her wonders

ND win by 15+

 

[futuretitles]

Can’t wait to see Lou and Mabrey go out at. Always exchanging words and Mabrey always seems to get under her skin while Lou has her hands up the refs

 

[LoTrader]

Rebounding is the key in this game. Alternatively, if UCONN makes all their shots, and there are no need for offensive rebounds, UCONN will win!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

ND rolling over Iowa (who?) has had an effect. Massey now sayeth: UConn by 5 (again) with a 62% probability. 79-74

 

[Tenspro2002]

Like last April, ND knows our stuff too well for us to run it smoothly. They also shoot it a lot better than Depaul.

ND 85-78 UConn

 

[itsasport]

How accurate has Massey been ;in the past?

Whoever won this Sunday will have ultimate revenge in the NCAA final, like last year.

Truth in that; plus, sort of repeating a previous post, I think that it is more important to give Ono, Mikayla and Kyla good minutes with an eye to the Final Four, than it is to win this game.

 

[ABCDFE]

I really think this game depends on how the refs call it. If one of either arike or young get in foul trouble, and our starting five stay out of foul trouble then we have a good shot. Otherwise, I think I do believe we will lose in a close game

 

[mbr33ct]

I'm predicting we will see the Arike Ogunbowale buzzer-beater at least 3 times.

 

[Ex Nutmegger]

The better comparison is the results of the DePaul game. Both teams blew DePaul out of the water, but ND did it on the road without Mabrey and with its starting five (including Nixon) only averaging 27.6 minutes. UConn had all of its starters on hand and they averaged 32.8 minutes in the win. Does not bode well for UConn . . .

1. UConn 99 vs Depaul 66 = 36 point difference
Notre Dame 101 vs Depaul 77 = 24 point difference
That’s +12 points for UConn

2. First Quarter scores: UConn 32 vs Depaul 15
Depaul 29 vs Notre Dame 22!!!
I submit that Muffet HAD to replace her slower starters with Prohaska and
Patterson so her team could catch up to and pass the Depaul players!

I am confidant that UConns starters could play 40 minutes and still outrun Muffet’s entire eight person rotation(assuming Mabrey plays) by a mile. But I do believe Geno will use Combs and ONO judiciously to leave them all on their knees at mid-court gasping for breath.