The Sporting News Preseason Poll

[UConnCat]

Lists ND at #1 and UConn at #3. That's all I know. No on-line link (yet) but it's in the latest edition of the magazine if anyone has it.

ND as #1 makes sense given that it's only loss is Bruiser.

 

[EricLA]

that's a bit of a surprise. i wonder if Baylor is 2 and tennessee is 4

 

[Dman]

where did you found this out

 

[Wonkster]

where did you found this out

Try your local newsstand.

 

[UConnCat]

where did you found this out

I was told by a ND fan who couldn't remember the other rankings. I'll try to track it down just to add to the prediction discussion.

 

[VAMike23]

Fascinating ..........

 

[MilfordHusky]

ND lost 8 games last year. I see them losing 4-5 this year. They are good but not #1.

 

[tigger]

ND lost 8 games last year. I see them losing 4-5 this year. They are good but not #1.

I agree, like I've said on other boards---I'm just not sure how Muffet got them to the finals last year. And this year, yeah, their good, but they have NO depth, and I just don't seem them in the top 5.

 

[Phil]

Maybe Muffet is that good.

 

[Vowelguy]

I agree, like I've said on other boards---I'm just not sure how Muffet got them to the finals last year. And this year, yeah, their good, but they have NO depth, and I just don't seem them in the top 5.

They made it to the NC. They return 5/6 of their top players, including likely first team AA Diggins. Definitely top 2.

 

[Drumguy]

No way Baylor is not no. 1. We beat ND 3 out of 4 times. Putting us 3rd or 4th, they should be 4th or 5th in my vote. Tn after.

 

[Vowelguy]

We beat ND 3 out of 4 times.

Given that we have a much different team this year, I dont know what last year has to do with anything.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Preseason polls are just what they say they are......Preseason. So its anyone's guess where teams will start out the season. Its how they finish that counts. I am ok if UCONN is 4/5, or even lower. It gives the team something to work towards as the year progresses. We gotta remember that MM is no longer with this team and they are young. Some bumps along the way are inevitable.

With that said I am sure ND will be near the top. Why wouldn't they be? They return 4 starters and some quality reserves. Achonwa may likely start in place of Bruiser. They also have Frederica Miller off the bench and she is a pest on defense. And Kayla McBride should also be back, correct?

Baylor will likely be the #1 as they should be. They return practically everyone and except Melissa Jones and Shanay Washington will be back. They also will have Destini Williams for the entire season. This could be Baylor's year.

After those two it gets jumbled to me. Tennessee needs to prove that they can put it all together with this senior group. They may now be inspired enough to be as dominant as everyone thought they could be given their coaches recent diagnosis. They could play for her. Should be interesting. If Duke can score they should be good this year and for some reason I really think Louisville could be dangerous this year. They add Cierra Robertson-Warren a 6-4 transfer from UNC. They were young last year and made a decent run in the NCAA. I think they could challenge both UCONN and ND in the Big East.

And I almost left out Texas A&M. They get Kelsey Bone who I think is really good!!

This should be a great year!!! I cant wait!!!

 

[Icebear]

Geno will likely be disgusted if the team is too near the top because he wants the motivation tool.

 

[EricLA]

Geno will likely be disgusted if the team is too near the top because he wants the motivation tool.

lol good point. i can see him saying something like "seriously? we lost the best player in the country and one of the better back up PG's and they still think we are a top 4 team? the rest of WCBB really needs to step it up"...

 

[Vowelguy]

This is what I'm remembering of the top 10. I may have misordered #5-7, but it was definitely those 3 teams.

1. Notre Dame
2. Baylor
3. UConn
4. Tenn
5. Stanford ?
6. TAMU ?
7. Duke ?
8. Georgetown
9. Louisville ?
10. Miami

 

[Drumguy]

Given that we have a much different team this year, I dont know what last year has to do with anything.

Just my opinion. Losing Maya obviously is a big loss to us but we also return 4 starters and get a 5th starter back as well as some much needed depth and growth of our 2 frosh starters. Look at SD's growth, I expect the same from Bria. I'd guess our team was fatigued in the FF, so having more depth is definately going to help offset the loss of Maya.

So they have 4 starters back, we have 5 back with CD. I'd say imho last year remains a fair comparison and we beat them 3 out of 4.

 

[VAUConnFan]

Preseason polls are just what they say they are......Preseason. So its anyone's guess where teams will start out the season. Its how they finish that counts. I am ok if UCONN is 4/5, or even lower. It gives the team something to work towards as the year progresses. We gotta remember that MM is no longer with this team and they are young. Some bumps along the way are inevitable.

With that said I am sure ND will be near the top. Why wouldn't they be? They return 4 starters and some quality reserves. Achonwa may likely start in place of Bruiser. They also have Frederica Miller off the bench and she is a pest on defense. And Kayla McBride should also be back, correct?

Baylor will likely be the #1 as they should be. They return practically everyone and except Melissa Jones and Shanay Washington will be back. They also will have Destini Williams for the entire season. This could be Baylor's year.

After those two it gets jumbled to me. Tennessee needs to prove that they can put it all together with this senior group. They may now be inspired enough to be as dominant as everyone thought they could be given their coaches recent diagnosis. They could play for her. Should be interesting. If Duke can score they should be good this year and for some reason I really think Louisville could be dangerous this year. They add Cierra Robertson-Warren a 6-4 transfer from UNC. They were young last year and made a decent run in the NCAA. I think they could challenge both UCONN and ND in the Big East.

And I almost left out Texas A&M. They get Kelsey Bone who I think is really good!!

This should be a great year!!! I cant wait!!!

Yep!

 

[Vowelguy]

Just my opinion. Losing Maya obviously is a big loss to us but we also return 4 starters and get a 5th starter back as well as some much needed depth and growth of our 2 frosh starters. Look at SD's growth, I expect the same from Bria. I'd guess our team was fatigued in the FF, so having more depth is definately going to help offset the loss of Maya.

So they have 4 starters back, we have 5 back with CD. I'd say imho last year remains a fair comparison and we beat them 3 out of 4.

Sorry, but I can't understand anyone comparing last year to this year. Did you say that the Chicago Bulls were basically the same team after Michael Jordan left since they returned 4 of 5 starters?

This team may or may not be better than last year's. But it is clearly a much much much different team.

 

[VAUConnFan]

This is what I'm remembering of the top 10. I may have misordered #5-7, but it was definitely those 3 teams.

1. Notre Dame
2. Baylor
3. UConn
4. Tenn
5. Stanford ?
6. TAMU ?
7. Duke ?
8. Georgetown
9. Louisville ?
10. Miami

Your typical Notre Dame bias, but a nice place from which to start. Notre Dame does not face a serious challenge to their #1 ranking until meeting Connecticut and Georgetown back to back in January.

 

[UConnCat]

Your typical Notre Dame bias, but a nice place from which to start. Notre Dame does not face a serious challenge to their #1 ranking until meeting Connecticut and Georgetown back to back in January.

Notre Dame will likely face Baylor on Nov 20 in the finals of the preseason NIT. Looking at the early matchups, I'd be very surprised if both don't win out. The game would be in Waco. I believe Notre Dame will likely play Duke in one of the island tournaments over the Thanksgiving weekend and plays Kentucky mid-December.

 

[Icebear]

Sorry, but I can't understand anyone comparing last year to this year. Did you say that the Chicago Bulls were basically the same team after Michael Jordan left since they returned 4 of 5 starters?

This team may or may not be better than last year's. But it is clearly a much much much different team.

As I said in the other thread I am far less apprehensive about this year's team than last year's. A year ago we had Maya but we went into the season with a freshman Center and a freshman Point Guard. Yes, we had Maya but it was a huge thing to ask Stef and Bria to replace Tina and Caroline. They did so unbelievably well. This year we replace Maya but replacing Maya alone is in my opinion not the challenge of replacing Tina AND Caroline at their positions. Maya did everything but the depth we add and the aspects of her game to be picked up by multiple players seems very manageable to me. We now have options in the post for back up on rebounding, we have options at point guard and shooting guard that bring increased options and potential to improve defensive pressure on the perimeter (something that killed us against some teams including a streaking ND). (Note: Clarifying options as raised by tigger below. I am talking about both structural options such as going big or small but more than that depth options should we be hit with foul issues. Once Samarie left and with Heather's stress fracture issue and Michala's need to become stronger and reacclimated to play we essentially had no real substitute in the post. Now we do with Kiah and Heather and Michala. A the point we have Caroline, Bria and yes even Brianna available. On the wings 2, 3 and 4 we can use Bria, Brianna, Tiff, Faris, Engeln. In other words we have players providing much more overlap at each position.)

The proof will be in the pudding but I like what I see in the recipe.

 

[Vowelguy]

As I said in the other thread I am far less aprehensive about this year's team than last year's.

LOL, so your definition of "apprehensive" meant chastising anyone who didn't rank UConn #1 preseason last year.

In any event, not sure the point of your post since it doesnt touch on the basic thread: that UConn is much different this year.

 

[Icebear]

Nope, not off point at all. I was indeed responding to your note concerning comparing this team with last year's team and noted the basis for that comparison. That's why I quoted your post. You said the teams were unable to be compared or weren't comparable so I detailed my thoughts on comparing them. Comparing them is not necessarily saying they are the same, they aren't.

Being more or less apprehensive has little to do with chastening anyone nor did my thoughts on UConn being #1 preseason last year. Rather I was simply noting that I am quite comfortable with this team going into this season as I was in my belief that UConn deserved to be #1 preseason last year.

I noted the reasons why I had more concern last year since we were extremely inexperienced at two key positions, PG and Center, in contrast to one player this year and a position that is more flexible in the skills and role of the personnel who can fill it.

Last I stated that I felt UConn deserved to be #1 last year until someone took them out on the floor and broke their winning streak that didn't mean there was not reason for concern or apprehension as to how things would play out. That streak ended up at 90 and showed that UConn deserved that preseason ranking as they were among the last undefeated teams to fall. Last year I expected 3-4 losses and this year I expect the same through the tournament but I am more comfortable this year than last year going into the season. I didn't expect them to get past Baylor. That Baylor game was one of the losses I expected and expected Baylor to become #1 at that point. Disagreeing with folks and giving basic reasons is far from chastening anyone.

 

[tigger]

So your definition of "apprehensive" meant chastising anyone who didn't rank UConn #1 preseason last year.

In any event, not sure the point of your post since it doesnt touch on the basic thread: that UConn is much different this year.

I think in an off-hand, unintentional way, he/she actually did, with the definite references to "optiions". I read that to mean that now you have Bria and Caroline (again) , you have Stephanie and a very capable Kiah as a back up frosh. Here's where I get confused tho about all the "options" At this point, you either go kinda "big" with 's being 3s and 4s or go with the obvious or more predictable Doty, Farris, Hayes, Dolson, and KML. That won't leave anybody to back up Tiff and Kelly except Banks, meaning you will have to go "kinda" big for I'd say half of each game. That's kind of different.