Should UConn Accept Tennessee's Scheduling Request (If Made)?

[UConnNick]

I don't see Geno scheduling a game with Tennessee, because he felt they falsely accused Maya's mother and Maya herself of violations.

It's really pretty amazing that a school that's commited so many NCAA violations, leaving a trail of manure behind them big enough to fertilize the Sahara Desert, tried to cast stones at anybody else. Let's also not forget the deplorable way their athletic dept. responded to the Peyton Manning "teabagging" locker room incident. That one cost them a six figure settlement. The entire athletic dept. had zero respect for women and promoted that culture for many years. Good grief.

 

[Jimbo]

Let's not forget that Tennessee and ESPN were both reportedly on board with reviving the rivalry a couple years ago. Then somebody asked Geno about it, and he said this:

"I haven’t gotten any phone calls from anyone about it. I don’t go to bed every night wondering when we are going to play Tennessee again. I don’t care whether we ever play them again. That game means nothing to me. It might mean something to them and a lot of others, but those people are decreasing every year. We’ve moved on. Our rivalry with Notre Dame is just as good, if not better than any rivalry we’ve had with anyone. If someone is out there actively trying to put that [Tennessee] game back together, I wish them all the luck in the world. Me personally? I could care less if it never happens again. I could care less and I won’t bend over backwards to make it happen, either."

To which Holly replied, "It's no big deal. If he doesn't want to play, it's perfectly fine with me. I will not beg someone to play, especially not UConn."

Whereupon, the cold war apparently resumed.

Tennessee-UConn? Auriemma Says Forget It
UConn Women's Insider: Tennessee Coach Won't 'Beg' Huskies To Play

I'm on record on this board as being among those who don't particularly care whether we ever play Tennessee again. I especially don't see how playing them again helps us at this point. As I posted recently on another thread, we'd stand to gain very little if we blew them out, and any other result would only help Tennessee. It is telling that Mr. Adams came right out and said, "UT needs UConn now." That may be right, but we don't need them. I do understand and respect the argument that a resumption of the rivalry would be good for the sport. To me, though, that rings hollow in this particular circumstance; I seriously doubt Tennessee was thinking about the good of the sport when they smeared innocent people and tried their best to torpedo our program with a barrage of falsehoods, conjecture, innuendo, and other miscellaneous nonsense. As far as I'm concerned, their program can rot, wither, and die.

Despite all that, I'm not in the "hell no" camp. I'm perfectly content to stand with Geno on this issue. If, at some future point, he deems it appropriate to put Tennessee on the schedule, I'll be on board. I expect that would entail some sort of apology from Tennessee, at least to Maya and her family, and so I'm not exactly holding my breath for it to happen anytime soon. Still, if and when Geno's fine with scheduling them again, so am I. But not a minute sooner.

 

[UcMiami]

Playing TN anytime in the foreseeable future just makes no sense to me - if it happens in an NCAA fine, but otherwise ... cannot drink from the same river twice. It was a great rivalry when it was happening because from 1995 - 2008 while it was happening both teams were permanent residence of the top ten and usually the top 3. 11 of 14 championships during that period were won by one or the other team and most of the games were 1 vs. 2.

Uconn has maintained that status, TN has fallen off. Uconn vs. ND comes closest to that standard, with Uconn vs SC, and Uconn vs. Baylor pretty close. A Uconn vs. TN game would be a pale shadow of what it once was, and would be a serious anti-climax.

As to the premise put forth in the article that it would help TN by exposing the team and coaches to a higher standard. Hogwash. The only way it would help is if it was the expected beat down, and the write-ups afterwords were brutal - it might force the ADs hand to get a new coach in.

 

[pacific 44]

I would make a deal with them.They have to sign Holly to a 15 year contract and we will play them all 15 years on campus.Also they would have to do two other things.
1.They would have to purchase at least 100 handbags and
2.They would have to leave campus dressed in UCONN paraphernalia.

 

[Bayareahusky]

This question keeps coming up pretty regularly.... and I always think and say..... Tennessee tried to dismantle our program.... kill it..... that is not an overstatement....

and then they have hidden behind the "Geno knows why" from Pat.... which Geno happily addressed.....

No violation came from it, aside from secondary thing on setting up tour at ESPN....

Tennessee unloaded the guns at us.... and we expect an apology... failing that, the issue seems dead

 

[DaddyChoc]

They should only play if they meet post season.

 

[jdubct]

This comes up year after year particularly at tournament time. Geno has indicated more than a few times that this will not likely ever happen while he is coaching.

 

[meyers7]

 

[jdubct]

The newspaper makes a strong case for why Tennessee should schedule Uconn. Uconn's ongoing rivalries include Notre Dame, Baylor and South Carolina and strong teams such as Texas. There is nothing to be gained on the basketball court or other benchmarks such as strength of schedule to warrant even considering playing Tennessee.

 

[meyers7]

As far as I'm concerned, their program can rot, wither, and die.

 

[meyers7]

I would make a deal with them.They have to sign Holly to a 15 year contract and we will play them all 15 years on campus.Also they would have to do two other things.
1.They would have to purchase at least 100 handbags and
2.They would have to leave campus dressed in UCONN paraphernalia.

 

[f1f1ferrari]

I'm with those who say no. There have been a lot of comments saying we should play them because those involved aren't there anymore. But the University of Tennessee, as an institution, filed these charges against UConn and Maya Moore, so I believe The University of Tennessee, as an institution, has to make it right before I would be comfortable with playing them again.

 

[CTyankee]

Come on UCONN, come out to the state of Oregon, and play both OSU & UO? Maybe you could do a little recruiting while you are in our beautiful state.

My wife and I went to your beautiful state to see UConn play Oregon on New Years Eve day, 2012... A truly fabulous week spent roaming the coast line, eating oysters from Newport to Astoria, visiting Mount Hood, and making merry at Jake's on NewYears Eve...

 

[LO TRADER]

My wife and I went to your beautiful state to see UConn play Oregon on New Years Eve day, 2012... A truly fabulous week spent roaming the coast line, eating oysters from Newport to Astoria, visiting Mount Hood, and making merry at Jake's on NewYears Eve...


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Thank you! UCONN could make a swing through the Pacific Norhtwest: UO, OSU, and UW. Or, a 4-team tournament? I think it would be great for UCONN, and for NCAA WBB.

 

[BroadwayVa]

No... they shouldn't refuse to play them if they meet in the NCAA Tourney... They just need to play Uconn ball and that'll be the end of it... Nothing a good butt whooping can't fix.... or several of them lol

That was facetious---sarcastic--obviously nothing Geno would ever do--refuse to play ANY team for the NC. But I agree with you that it would be supreme punishment, and maybe end the feud should Uconn whooop up on them in a title game.

 

[mdakota]

That was facetious---sarcastic--obviously nothing Geno would ever do--refuse to play ANY team for the NC. But I agree with you that it would be supreme punishment, and maybe end the feud should Uconn whooop up on them in a title game.

Title Game?? Now that's sarcastic lol

 

[HoopsFan21]

I want to say no, but in general I'd like to play teams that accuse UConn of cheating on national TV and embarrass them. Tell the starters they're all getting 40 minutes and let them go to town.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Title Game?? Now that's sarcastic lol

I agree---not likely as long as Holly runs that ship---this year's Tn team had talent 300 plus NCAA teams would scream for--and they were "out-ted" in the pre Sweet 16 game. I'm beating a dead horse, and speaking hypothetically, but if Geno had that talent--especially Diamond--and if she listened and didn't transfer--he would have , IMO, another National Contender.

 

[huskeynut]

If you go read on VolNation, they don't want the game either. They don't want the doors blown off and lose by 30+.

They are more concerned about beating a mediocre Alabama!

 

[bizarro aj]

If Tennessee wants to play uconn its a very simple process, just make it to the NC game!

 

[ME Husky Fan]

If the school offers an apology for their atrocious, unwarranted claims, then yes. (I don't see that happening.)

The apology is never coming. Pat made Holly promise that before she passed away. If they approach UCONN be the bigger man and schedule it, their place, and show them how basketball is supposed to be played, day in and day out.

 

[DefenseBB]

I'd rather see the huskies schedule a series with albany. A coach and program on the rise ! The committee has gone out of it's way not to place Tenn. anywhere near Uconn in the tourney , until they have a reasonable chance at winning. PROTECTIONISM !

You realize that the coach has only been there one year right? She inherited those players from the UCF coach. While it's nice she won the conference again with that team, let us see her do it a few more year and with her recruits before getting all giddy. Does she show potential? Sure, so did Holly those first few years after Pat was gone. Not that I want equate those two but it is a Tenn-UConn thread.

 

[DefenseBB]

Had to wade in, but what to say? I'm with the folks who say that was then, this is now, move on. I read a number of positives about Geno on Volnation, the discrepancy between our coach and the Nashville one very obvious. Scheduling Tennessee now, when they are in disarray, doesn't help them.

Umm, it seems like you're intimating the Tenn is in Nashville, Tenn is in Knoxville, Vanderbilt is in Nashville...

 

[Phil]

I haven't checked the numbers (and I won't) but I'm betting there has been more discussion of the Tennessee program on this broad today than on the entire Tennessee board.

 

[1-of-the-6]

The apology is never coming. Pat made Holly promise that before she passed away.

You have verification of this as a fact, or are you just making it up?

 

[drweo]

Playing TN anytime in the foreseeable future just makes no sense to me - if it happens in an NCAA fine, but otherwise ... cannot drink from the same river twice. It was a great rivalry when it was happening because from 1995 - 2008 while it was happening both teams were permanent residence of the top ten and usually the top 3. 11 of 14 championships during that period were won by one or the other team and most of the games were 1 vs. 2.

Uconn has maintained that status, TN has fallen off. Uconn vs. ND comes closest to that standard, with Uconn vs SC, and Uconn vs. Baylor pretty close. A Uconn vs. TN game would be a pale shadow of what it once was, and would be a serious anti-climax.

As to the premise put forth in the article that it would help TN by exposing the team and coaches to a higher standard. Hogwash. The only way it would help is if it was the expected beat down, and the write-ups afterwords were brutal - it might force the ADs hand to get a new coach in.

Well said. To me, the central thesis of the article is just wrong. Yes, Tenn. needs UConn-type approaches to improving their team, but the current coach and staff would not learn that from a game against UConn. Coach Warlick has repeatedly said she does not know how to fix the team's problems. She has coached them for 30 or so games this year (and last) and still cannot analyze the problems and initiate solutions. A beatdown from UConn would not change that, and it would not benefit UConn in any significant way.

 

[stwainfan]

Come on UCONN, come out to the state of Oregon, and play both OSU & UO? Maybe you could do a little recruiting while you are in our beautiful state.

That's Tennessee territor

 

[Drew]

only way we say yes is if they finally put firm dates on the football home and home we have with them that has been "TBA" for years now.

 

[augustaTC]

Oh, I don't know. I don't think you have our best interests in mind. But I sure do enjoy the way you folks in Oregon are getting better at BBall.

Like this idea....how about alternating between Coasts around the Christmas holidays - one year out there, one year back East - with the two Oregon teams and the other Huskies. Holiday mini-tourney, East vs West.

 

[magic]

You realize that the coach has only been there one year right? She inherited those players from the UCF coach. While it's nice she won the conference again with that team, let us see her do it a few more year and with her recruits before getting all giddy. Does she show potential? Sure, so did Holly those first few years after Pat was gone. Not that I want equate those two but it is a Tenn-UConn thread.

My significant other graduated from U. Albany. We see plenty of the games, so yes we are aware of everything there. While she did inherit players, she also knew " how " to coach them. I stand by my statement !