Texas @ Baylor - 1/25/18

[DallasBUFan]

I had a work event and was driving to Frisco from Dallas when this game started. I was at the Dallas Mavericks sub league game where a BU men's player started. We were in a suite and to my happiness BU was really kicking ass. Watched from 2nd half on and WOW so proud but not surprised by my bears. Baylor is as good as they look and I think the top 3 teams truly separate themselves from the pack. So proud of my bears. I feel different about Chou, she is truly a stater but just in a slump and it is effecting her mentally. Go bears!!

 

[Carnac]

OK class, Baylor beat a Texas team by 25 tonight that UConn struggled to beat by 4. What did we learn from this game? Is Baylor that good, or did Texas have an "off" night?
Is this the year that Baylor busts through and makes it to the final four, or do they get "ambushed yet again by an assailant or assailants unknown?

Baylor looked awful good tonight. Can they run the table the rest of the season, and maintain this level of play all the way through the tournament?

Is Baylor's bracket a bracket you don't want to be in, or a team you don't want to see in the tournament?

What's YOUR take? Gimme the scoop.

 

[Plebe]

Baylor certainly passing the eye test here tonight. Guess we'll see what's more important to the selection committee: their dogmatic love of strength of schedule, or not looking quite so stupid in the next reveal.

The committee has been quite consistent in how it evaluates teams. It doesn't give away #1 seeds to teams who haven't beaten anyone good. Which was the case with Baylor — until tonight. Hence Baylor's seeding will rise just on the strength of this win alone. If Baylor beats West Virginia and Oklahoma State in the next two games, their seeding will rise even higher.

The committee won't be changing course, but Baylor's resume will.

 

[Plebe]

Time will tell. I think that a 3 seed in the NY region is what Baylor needs to spur them past the E8. And that is what most are predicting at this time.

Baylor won't be a 3 seed unless they lose multiple games before selection day. If Baylor runs the table in its backloaded schedule, they'll be a 1 seed. They might even be able to take a loss and still be a 1 seed. Their remaining schedule is such that they're going to be a high 2 seed at the least.

 

[Plebe]

Time will tell. I think that a 3 seed in the NY region is what Baylor needs to spur them past the E8. And that is what most are predicting at this time.

"what most are predicting" -- Not true.

The committee's initial reveal isn't a prediction of where teams will be seeded. It's where they would be seeded if the season ended at that time. Big difference. Not sure why this concept is so hard to grasp.

 

[Carnac]

Charlie Creme sez..............

Charlie Creme@CharlieCreme


I will say it again, like I did last week. There are not 8 teams in the country better than Baylor. Tonight would be another example.

 

[easttexastrash]

Charlie Creme sez....

Charlie Creme@CharlieCreme


I will say it again, like I did last week. There are not 8 teams in the country better than Baylor. Tonight would be another example.

Then why did he have Baylor as a 3 seed in his last bracketology? He should be supporting his seeding, not arguing against it.

 

[easttexastrash]

I'm still waiting for Rellah Boothe to put up the 40 and 20 or whatever she promised.

I had almost forgotten about her. Did she redshirt? I’m thinking that Jolmes would have been better off to redshirt no more than she is contributing. She’s running out of time.

How can a player be off for that long and not have improved her shot? Surely she had enough time to practice shooting.

 

[DallasBUFan]

Where is Southie?!?! She has given me so much crap about BU and trolled the BU boards this summer about how UT will run the table this year. Southie and another UT fan got blocked because of how mean, rude, and classless as they were. I wonder where they are now? I still don't think this is the best BU team we can see. Let Natalie get out of her slump and have Juicy hitting and you will be done for.

 

[easttexastrash]

Where is Southie?!?! She has given me so much crap about BU and trolled the BU boards this summer about how UT will run the table this year. Southie and another UT fan got blocked because of how mean, rude, and classless as they were. I wonder where they are now? I still don't think this is the best BU team we can see. Let Natalie get out of her slump and have Juicy hitting and you will be done for.

Southie spilled the beans that she still trolls the Baylor board. I sure would be interested in hearing her supreme insight on Baylor and how they haven’t yet played a quality team. That analysis may still be accurate.

 

[DefenseBB]

There’s been some pretty spot on insight on this thread. Kim had her squad ready to play for sure. I also think many on here do think Kim is a very good coach, if not temperamental and prone to the occasional wig out. She can also recruit. She does struggle in making in game adjustments but given her overall success, that’s nitpicking.
1. I was completely wrong tonight think Texas on the road would continue its recent efforts. Boy was I WRONG...
2. Cox looked like the #1ranked player. Very impressed with her soft touch and footwork.
3. Richards who I nicknamed “Minnie” out of true respect also was the energizer bunny (mouse) and was everywhere. Great game.
4. Wallace, for as cold as Brooke was, she was “en fugo”. She is the Kia of this team. Opposing fans hate her and home fans absolutely love them.
5. ETT nailed how good Morris is. Very impressive.
6. BRown was ok and still prone to too many bad fouls.
7. Chou is still not what she came as advertised, neither is Holmes-still to many brain cramps trying to lead a break and takin 3 pt shots? She’s not Z...
8. Texas needs to regroup and take stock of their game. Still have time.
At this stage the top 3 are clear-UConn, MSU and BU. After that there is a bit of a scrum of 5 Lou, FSU, ND, Oregon and dare I say Georgia? Sorry SC, Tenn, Texas and Mizzou.

 

[JordyG]

I agree with Charlie Creame. There just aren't 8 teams better than Baylor this year. Also give UT some credit tonight. Although they struggled against an average Ole Miss team this is a game they would have, and indeed did, lost(e) last year.

 

[Shades]

Then why did he have Baylor as a 3 seed in his last bracketology? He should be supporting his seeding, not arguing against it.

Because he’s trying to predict what the committee will do, which doesn’t necessarily fall in line with what he would do.

 

[eebmg]

Agreed but how many of us BY posters singled out Wallace as a player to watch for Baylor? She is very skilled and very active. Baylor has more pieces than I thought.

And you never need to worry about her looking "scared". She always always competes.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

See why I was the biggest proponent of getting Lauren Cox to Storrs?

 

[geneticrex]

I have now seen Texas play 4 times. All losses.

Of the 4, the only game the looked good in, was against UCONN.

 

[eebmg]

Baylor is as big a threat to UConn as Miss U.

 

[TitleTown]

Baylor is as big a threat to UConn as Miss U.

Baylor and MSU are the two teams that UConn will have the most trouble matching up with. Both of them have big, strong, post players that dominate the lane. UConn needs to control the tempo and push the pace against these teams. If they are forced into a slow paced, possession type game, I think UConn will have their hands full with both of these teams.

 

[oldude]

While Baylor looked like a world beater last night, it’s worth reminding everyone that just a few weeks ago, after destroying ND at home, we all thought Louisville was as good as any team in the nation. But then the Cardinals stumbled at home vs FSU with Durr having a horrendous shooting night, and they have also looked pretty average in 2 road wins over unranked Pitt & Miami.

Baylor has looked great in the past only to flame out in the postseason. I wouldn’t bet the ranch on the Lady Bears just yet.

 

[easttexastrash]

Because he’s trying to predict what the committee will do, which doesn’t necessarily fall in line with what he would do.

I thought his bracketology was to predict his opinions. I guess I misunderstood.

 

[Dillon77]

There is no love lost there. Other than Coale, there is no coach that Mulkey enjoys beating more.

I switched over to this from the ND game and just saw a fourth quarter that was an exercise in finishing the game.

Along the lines of your comment, could the animosity you mention be the reason Kim kept her big three (Brown-Cox-Wallace) in the game for so long? Or is this modus operandi?
From a practical standpoint, I'd think one would want to avoid any end-of-game injuries. I know Baylor does not have an army on the bench, but struck me as time to take pedal off the metal.

 

[UConnCat]

See why I was the biggest proponent of getting Lauren Cox to Storrs?

Many of us here were big proponents of getting Lauren Cox to Storrs. Many of us here also knew early on it was never going to happen.

 

[Tonyc]

Baylor plays Texas at Texas Feb 19. Lets see what happens. Baylor played well at home much like Texas did against UConn. Texas played their best game of the season against UConn, and they played it at home and lost. Some fans are impressed with all the height on both teams and some fans fear that height. After the Texas UConn game some fans were saying Texas could be a FF team they were that good. Texas now has 4 losses. Theres a reason for that. UConn has no losses either does Miss St and both have played tuffer schedules then Baylor. IMO Baylor is a top 4 team now. UConn is at a different level.

 

[Bigpetunia]

While Baylor looked like a world beater last night, it’s worth reminding everyone that just a few weeks ago, after destroying ND at home, we all thought Louisville was as good as any team in the nation. But then the Cardinals stumbled at home vs FSU with Durr having a horrendous shooting night, and they have also looked pretty average in 2 road wins over unranked Pitt & Miami.

Baylor has looked great in the past only to flame out in the postseason. I wouldn’t bet the ranch on the Lady Bears just yet.

I take your point, but I have to say that this Baylor team looks like a different kind of animal than the typical Bears. This is the first team I've seen this season that I actually fear for the Huskies to go up against in the Final Four. The fact is that UConn simply does not match up well against them. Cox has vastly improved, and her inside presence along with the 6'7" Brown, who has developed into quite a physical specimen, is pretty imposing. Now the Australian kid, Wallace, may have had the game of her life against Texas, but she looked tough-as-nails, and she, as well as the remaining supporting cast, provides them with balance I did not previously know they possessed. Here on the Boneyard, we apparently like to mock and denigrate Kim, but she happens to be a great coach, the best evidence of which, insofar as this Baylor team is concerned, is the relentless, stifling defense they play. Unlike UConn, they forced Texas to play the kind of game they wanted to dictate, with results that turned out to be fatal for the Longhorns. UConn has demonstrated that they face big struggles to compete on the boards when they face such imposing "bigs" underneath, and these are as imposing as we generally see in the women's game. Baylor is not unbeatable, but the Huskies will need one of their best offensive nights from the perimeter of the entire season to pull it off. You are certainly correct that we've been impressed with Baylor in the past, only to see them flame out, and this may be yet another such case, but me...well, I was pretty impressed by what I saw!

 

[meyers7]

I agree with Charlie Creame. There just aren't 8 teams better than Baylor this year. Also give UT some credit tonight. Although they struggled against an average Ole Miss team this is a game they would have, and indeed did, lost(e) last year.

I think you meant Tenn.

 

[skilz]

Is there any coach that Kim is chummy with?

Yeah - Geno!

 

[skilz]

See why I was the biggest proponent of getting Lauren Cox to Storrs?

Lauren Cox is finally showing what she is really all about, and I too was very disappointed that she didn't choose UConn (however if it wasn't UConn, glad it was Baylor). What I hear Cox had some really big challenges last year with her diabetes and getting it under control with the intense work out of college BB. Scary part of Baylor is that the duo of Brown and Cox are back again next year.

 

[oldude]

I take your point, but I have to say that this Baylor team looks like a different kind of animal than the typical Bears. This is the first team I've seen this season that I actually fear for the Huskies to go up against in the Final Four. The fact is that UConn simply does not match up well against them. Cox has vastly improved, and her inside presence along with the 6'7" Brown, who has developed into quite a physical specimen, is pretty imposing. Now the Australian kid, Wallace, may have had the game of her life against Texas, but she looked tough-as-nails, and she, as well as the remaining supporting cast, provides them with balance I did not previously know they possessed. Here on the Boneyard, we apparently like to mock and denigrate Kim, but she happens to be a great coach, the best evidence of which, insofar as this Baylor team is concerned, is the relentless, stifling defense they play. Unlike UConn, they forced Texas to play the kind of game they wanted to dictate, with results that turned out to be fatal for the Longhorns. UConn has demonstrated that they face big struggles to compete on the boards when they face such imposing "bigs" underneath, and these are as imposing as we generally see in the women's game. Baylor is not unbeatable, but the Huskies will need one of their best offensive nights from the perimeter of the entire season to pull it off. You are certainly correct that we've been impressed with Baylor in the past, only to see them flame out, and this may be yet another such case, but me...well, I was pretty impressed by what I saw!

While I generally agree, you could make a good case that last year’s Baylor team was bigger, deeper, more experienced and more talented than this year’s version. Time will tell.

I would also note that TX played right into Baylor’s hands by continually going one-on-one on offense with little ball movement.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I take your point, but I have to say that this Baylor team looks like a different kind of animal than the typical Bears. This is the first team I've seen this season that I actually fear for the Huskies to go up against in the Final Four. The fact is that UConn simply does not match up well against them. Cox has vastly improved, and her inside presence along with the 6'7" Brown, who has developed into quite a physical specimen, is pretty imposing. Now the Australian kid, Wallace, may have had the game of her life against Texas, but she looked tough-as-nails, and she, as well as the remaining supporting cast, provides them with balance I did not previously know they possessed. Here on the Boneyard, we apparently like to mock and denigrate Kim, but she happens to be a great coach, the best evidence of which, insofar as this Baylor team is concerned, is the relentless, stifling defense they play. Unlike UConn, they forced Texas to play the kind of game they wanted to dictate, with results that turned out to be fatal for the Longhorns. UConn has demonstrated that they face big struggles to compete on the boards when they face such imposing "bigs" underneath, and these are as imposing as we generally see in the women's game. Baylor is not unbeatable, but the Huskies will need one of their best offensive nights from the perimeter of the entire season to pull it off. You are certainly correct that we've been impressed with Baylor in the past, only to see them flame out, and this may be yet another such case, but me...well, I was pretty impressed by what I saw!

Big P---Nice post. We post some semi-negative things about Mulkey, but I doubt many think she isn't a good coach. She definitely is a good recruiter.
Uconn isn't very effective against more than one big, Geno has masked that weakness, but it remains so. With Azura on the floor Uconn is a much better than good team. Azura, is learning to be a post--she is a super talent, but she is Uconn's only true BIG. Nothing on the bench to replace or relieve her
It is not that Geno didn't spend many months, maybe years, trying to recruit two 3 or more bigs--they just were not matches for Uconn. So--I can't blame Geno, some do, for this lack--recruiting is the biggest crap shoot this side of Vegas. The odd makers only look at who is coaching Uconn and the odds go, usually, towards Uconn.==However I'd trade those odds for at least 2 capable bigs over 6 ft 4 inches.

The other side of that coin is that thankfully Uconn may not meet TX or Baylor until the NCAA's and maybe not then. Nearly everyone else Uconn has played and defeated, yes there are exceptions, but I like Uconn's chances.

 

[eebmg]

I take your point, but I have to say that this Baylor team looks like a different kind of animal than the typical Bears. This is the first team I've seen this season that I actually fear for the Huskies to go up against in the Final Four. The fact is that UConn simply does not match up well against them. Cox has vastly improved, and her inside presence along with the 6'7" Brown, who has developed into quite a physical specimen, is pretty imposing. Now the Australian kid, Wallace, may have had the game of her life against Texas, but she looked tough-as-nails, and she, as well as the remaining supporting cast, provides them with balance I did not previously know they possessed. Here on the Boneyard, we apparently like to mock and denigrate Kim, but she happens to be a great coach, the best evidence of which, insofar as this Baylor team is concerned, is the relentless, stifling defense they play. Unlike UConn, they forced Texas to play the kind of game they wanted to dictate, with results that turned out to be fatal for the Longhorns. UConn has demonstrated that they face big struggles to compete on the boards when they face such imposing "bigs" underneath, and these are as imposing as we generally see in the women's game. Baylor is not unbeatable, but the Huskies will need one of their best offensive nights from the perimeter of the entire season to pull it off. You are certainly correct that we've been impressed with Baylor in the past, only to see them flame out, and this may be yet another such case, but me...well, I was pretty impressed by what I saw!

I think a big push is needed by UConn to get Batouly into games where we can benefit from her physicality (If she is cleared of course). Maybe starting with SC. In the last game against Memphis, she looked really strong and physical. Like a bull in a china shop.

That might help in the board wars a little and protect our foul situation.