Selection Monday Thoughts

[Tonyc]

My only thoughts are UConn. Ranked number 2 in the polls and Ive heard and read people saying UConn is the fourth number 1 seed. IMO UConn has 2 losses. One at Baylor the number 1 team and 1 at LVille. That was the old UConn and now we have the new UConn. UConn is a team on the rise and they are getting better. One weakness pointed out in many threads early in the season was UConn not having a big. Well they do now. Another point was it was the Big 3 and every body else well that is no longer anymore. UConn has ONO a terrific shot blocker with length and height and Coombs who is a terrific defender. This is not the same UConn team that lost at Baylor after a long layoff and a long road trip earlier this season. Dont forget UConn trailed by 4 in the 4th qtr. I dont think UConn would loose to Baylor on a neutral court today. The same goes to LVille.

Fans have been used to UConn being invicable. Theyre not this year and still have only 2 losses to top teams. UConn beat ND at ND and controlled the game. Since then many of the top teams have lost to lesser teams....UConn hasnt. Still with many talking negatively about UConn they have only 2 losses and are Ranked 2 in the polls. I expect that in the upcoming selection show tomorrow nite. I dont expect the tuffest path to the FF either. All the paths will be tuff however the top 2 teams should not have the tuffest of the tuff paths. Ive heard about RPI and how tuff other conferences are. Many of the top teams did not have a tuff OOC schedule. Many of the top teams lost to lesser teams. So imo RPI didnt come into play when you play a lesser team especially a team you should beat. So tomorrow nite will be fun to watch. I expect to see the brackets set up with UConn facing Baylor in the Finals if they both win because they Are the two top teams. JMO folks

 

[MSGRET]

My only thoughts are UConn. Ranked number 2 in the polls and Ive heard and read people saying UConn is the fourth number 1 seed. IMO UConn has 2 losses. One at Baylor the number 1 team and 1 at LVille. That was the old UConn and now we have the new UConn. UConn is a team on the rise and they are getting better. One weakness pointed out in many threads early in the season was UConn not having a big. Well they do now. Another point was it was the Big 3 and every body else well that is no longer anymore. UConn has ONO a terrific shot blocker with length and height and Coombs who is a terrific defender. This is not the same UConn team that lost at Baylor after a long layoff and a long road trip earlier this season. Dont forget UConn trailed by 4 in the 4th qtr. I dont think UConn would loose to Baylor on a neutral court today. The same goes to LVille.

Fans have been used to UConn being invicable. Theyre not this year and still have only 2 losses to top teams. UConn beat ND at ND and controlled the game. Since then many of the top teams have lost to lesser teams....UConn hasnt. Still with many talking negatively about UConn they have only 2 losses and are Ranked 2 in the polls. I expect that in the upcoming selection show tomorrow nite. I dont expect the tuffest path to the FF either. All the paths will be tuff however the top 2 teams should not have the tuffest of the tuff paths. Ive heard about RPI and how tuff other conferences are. Many of the top teams did not have a tuff OOC schedule. Many of the top teams lost to lesser teams. So imo RPI didnt come into play when you play a lesser team especially a team you should beat. So tomorrow nite will be fun to watch. I expect to see the brackets set up with UConn facing Baylor in the Finals if they both win because they Are the two top teams. JMO folks

Agree, they are the ONLY two No 1 seeds that did go undefeated in their respective conference and are ranked 1 and 2 in the polls.

 

[tomcat]

I don't disagree with most of what Tony said. I think UConn beats Louisville more often than not on a neutral court. I think Baylor beats UConn more often than not everywhere. So the goal is for UConn to be seeded to avoid Baylor as long as possible in hopes they get knocked off by someone who matches up better against them.

That said, UConn's newfound strengths are its weaknesses. I'm a huge ONO fan already, but to expect she can do what she's done against AAC competition against the Notre Dames and Stanfords of the world is perhaps optimistic. Coombs still is not an offensive threat,so the other guys only have four to guard when she's on the floor. Christyn still can disappear for (thankfully briefer) periods of time and is looking more confident. Still, with the exception of Napheesa, there are absolutely no sure things with this team. The tournament will be loads of fun because there is no way to know how it'll turn out.

 

[oldude]

I’m going to take Geno’s philosophy here. “We’ll go wherever they send us and play whoever they tell us to play.” There’s 6-7 teams in the country who can win it all this year. If UConn plays their best, they can win it all this year.

 

[Goodgood]

I’m going to take Geno’s philosophy here. “We’ll go wherever they send us and play whoever they tell us to play.” There’s 6-7 teams in the country who can win it all this year. If UConn plays their best, they can win it all this year.

Of course. Do we really have a choice?

 

[Jmsdawg]

I believe MSST will play in Portland either as a number one or two seed. Getting to the FF will require us to beat Oregon, not an easy task but I see us in the FF.

 

[oldude]

Of course. Do we really have a choice?

No, unfortunately we don’t.

After the bracket is announced tomorrow night, the only thing UConn can control is how they play. I believe if the Huskies play their best, that will be enough.

 

[msf22b]

Clearly the elite-8 game is going to be tougher than any of the last decade, whomever it is...and a real nail-biter...and that's assuming we get that far...there are no givens this year.

And yet, looking at the competition; no one's perfect, every team, us included has flaws...and the trick is...who can hide them the best...and conversely: who brings their A-game?

I am inspired after watching the totally unknown Bianca Andreescu overcome exhaustion, injury, and a determined veteran champ to win Indian Wells tonight. By sheer force of will (great shots and all-court savvy as well), she unexpectedly prevailed.

One hopes that the underclassmen as a group take inspiration from Bianca's stunning triumph.

It is really up to them.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

brackets, shmackets. I don't see any final result other than we win out. buckets. cookies. game! (with no 'next!') big fun! bring the scissors...

 

[Monte]

Just Go With It !

 

[Striper69]

My thoughts on Selection Monday?

There is one team that could be the best "Cinderella" selection in the entire country- the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Most teams are beat up and have nagging injuries but the Razorbacks look good. I think they have the potential to beat anyone in the tourney. They would also be one of the most exciting to watch. The tv ratings would skyrocket!

 

[Monte]

In the March 16th issue of the Journal Inquirer, Geno tells many of his feelings about WHO+ WHERE his team will play. Basically, he says to just go to your site and play the best you can against any team .

 

[npignatjr]

I don't disagree with most of what Tony said. I think UConn beats Louisville more often than not on a neutral court. I think Baylor beats UConn more often than not everywhere. So the goal is for UConn to be seeded to avoid Baylor as long as possible in hopes they get knocked off by someone who matches up better against them.

That said, UConn's newfound strengths are its weaknesses. I'm a huge ONO fan already, but to expect she can do what she's done against AAC competition against the Notre Dames and Stanfords of the world is perhaps optimistic. Coombs still is not an offensive threat,so the other guys only have four to guard when she's on the floor. Christyn still can disappear for (thankfully briefer) periods of time and is looking more confident. Still, with the exception of Napheesa, there are absolutely no sure things with this team. The tournament will be loads of fun because there is no way to know how it'll turn out.

See ONO against ND, when the rout happened, she is better now

 

[eebmg]

Not looking forward to Antonelli giving us her G curves vs S curves. Bleech.

 

[hoopsfan22]

See ONO against ND, when the rout happened, she is better now

ND also had no idea about what to do with CW defensively. They do now.

 

[oldude]

ND also had no idea about what to do with CW defensively. They do now.

Yes, but that involves having Ogunbowle playing defense....

 

[hoopsfan22]

Yes, but that involves having Ogunbowle playing defense....

I know, but it was game number seven, and one of ND's starters was coming off of injury. I think quite a bit has changed for both teams in the 3+ months since we played them. As Geno says playing a team again is an advantage for the other team.

 

[DefenseBB]

I’m going to take Geno’s philosophy here. “We’ll go wherever they send us and play whoever they tell us to play.” There’s 6-7 teams in the country who can win it all this year. If UConn plays their best, they can win it all this year.

Showing measure, logic and historic quotes...who are you and what did you do with our friend Oldude???

 

[Ralph]

Are the FF matchups set, i.e. the Albany winner will play the Greensboro or whoever winner, or does the committee pick the matchups for the FF, putting the regional with the

 

[Ralph]

meant to finish up .... putting the regional with the one seed versus the regional with the four seed?

 

[oldude]

Are the FF matchups set, i.e. the Albany winner will play the Greensboro or whoever winner, or does the committee pick the matchups for the FF, putting the regional with the

No. That’s Creme’s best guess. We’ll know the actual setup tonight.

 

[oldude]

I know, but it was game number seven, and one of ND's starters was coming off of injury. I think quite a bit has changed for both teams in the 3+ months since we played them. As Geno says playing a team again is an advantage for the other team.

But won’t ND be playing a team again also. So which “other team” has the advantage?

 

[eebmg]

Its overall 1 vs 4 , 2 vs 3. for FF.

Which regional getting which ranked team is part of the decision process.

 

[HuskylnSC]

How can we be a number 1 seed when we have the 31st ranked strength of schedule and 5 of the other schools are in the top 10? Notre dame is 1, Baylor is 3, Louisville is 5, Stanford is 7 and Oregon is 9. Only Mississippi State is ranked worse than us. I would be disappointed to be a 2 seed, but not surprised.

 

[hoopsfan22]

How can we be a number 1 seed when we have the 31st ranked strength of schedule and 5 of the other schools are in the top 10? Notre dame is 1, Baylor is 3, Louisville is 5, Stanford is 7 and Oregon is 9. Only Mississippi State is ranked worse than us. I would be disappointed to be a 2 seed, but not surprised.

The committee is going to have to use the eye test for us. We did not ask to be stuck in this conference. Geno tries to put together a challenging schedule, but sometimes that may not be enough. If I were on the committee I would ask myself if there are four better teams than UConn, and I would have to say no there are not.