This is why I've lost respect for Jeff Walz

[huskeynut]

Seriously?

Yea, but he had his dinner table shirt on last night!

 

[meyers7]

5. My reception got really bad after the half, but in the half I did see well, I can only recall one really hard foul, on Bria's breakaway, and even that was nothing out of the ordinary.

There were a couple more in the second half, the last one being very, very hard.

 

[huskeynut]

Has a UConn player ever gone out with the intention of injuring another player? Can't recall such an incident, but Louisville certainly tried that one on Stef last year in the final game with about 7 minutes left in the ball game down by 30.

Intentional no - but "send a message" - yes.

It was an NCAA tournament game at Storrs. Uconn vs. Hampton. Towards the end of the first half, Hampton's little guard, about 5' 3", punched Shea in the side of the face coming down the court. Shea just had a total look of surprise on her face but did not strike back.

On the the second half, Shea drives to the lane and runs her defender, the little guard, into a screen by Svet. Svet very clearly raised her forearm and dropped the little guard with a quick movement. The ref clearly saw it and did not blow the whistle. Statement made.

BTW - at that game, Hampton brought their band. They were absolutely awesome and entertaining.

 

[intlzncster]

When you team isn't as talented, you have a to find other ways to win. A lot of people seem to want the game played as "you run your stuff, we'll run our stuff, and we'll see who wins". When one team is definitively not as good as another, that is a losing strategy. If a coach doesn't do something to knock the better team off its game (rhythm), they aren't doing their job.

Waltz and Ville are doing exactly as they should be doing. That's one of the best ways to combat UConn, be as physical as possible with them. UConn's just too good right now.

It'll be interesting to see what happens when ND uses this strategy (and they will) if they happen to meet up.

 

[sparky]

WE won nanana! We did what we had to do and they did what they thought was the right thing. The most noticeable was when they drove and tried to initiate contact and threw up off balanced shots that missed. We are better and can and will get physical when and if it is called for.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

UConn does not win the NC this year or any other year just by being the best at layups, and blocks, and assists. It wins by being the toughest DOBs (no relation, and a reference to female Huskies) on the court both in mind, body, and execution.

I liked your post, even though as an "opponent" I wish it wasn't so.

What you say here is what so many don't get - Geno's troops are not only first rate basketball players, in first rate condition, but they are physically and mentally tough. Period.

I have never (in my limited exposure, I admit) seen UConn players take a play off. Don't expect to either. The ability to instill the mindset that he does to players year in and year out is one of Geno's greatest skills, IMHO.

 

[Icebear]

Bingo, Knight, that is where it all begins. The staff sets standards of work ethic and it touches every member of the organization.

 

[Buzzyboy]

I have gained a lot of respect for Jeff over the years and continue to think he is a great game coach. His players play a tough physical game of basketball and take what the refs allow, but they also know how to dial it back based on what the refs are calling. His teams have beaten a lot of teams with a lot more talent because he devises a game plan and gets his kids to buy in, and he knows how to adjust on the fly. If he ever gets really top talent watch out - he has taken very flawed teams to the championship game and he was a big part of that MD NC team.
I agree that one foul last year was over the top, but so did Jeff and he yanked the player immediately.

I was under the impression that he's got a very talented team. He's got a couple of girls that we either wanted or were at least in the discussion of Geno going after. I would have to say that a large part of his team are top 25 kids.

 

[HuskyNan]

Shea took out someone back in the day, intentionally. But probably not to intentionally "injure", but definitely to knock them on their butt and deliver a message.

Ashja would also shove people out of the paint back in the day. She was almost never called for a foul because she's so darn smart about it but, man, she when she wanted space under the basket, at least one person would end up on the floor.

 

[Outside Shot]

Bria Smith and Schimmel were Top 10 recruits. Hammond was Top 20. Taylor was Top 40 or so, as was Slaughter. How many schools can field lineups like that? Not many.

 

[UcMiami]

I was under the impression that he's got a very talented team. He's got a couple of girls that we either wanted or were at least in the discussion of Geno going after. I would have to say that a large part of his team are top 25 kids.

No question he has a talented team - but he has not gotten those top 1-3 recruits like Stewart/Griner/Jefferson/KML/Williams ted that are really the cream. There is generally a big difference between the #15 recruit and the #3 recruit not dissimilar to the #15 team in WCBB and the #1-5 teams. Angel is probably the exception and he inherited her and definitely made a difference in her development. I doubt anyone on this year's Louisville team would be starting for this year's Uconn team.

 

[intlzncster]

Bria Smith and Schimmel were Top 10 recruits. Hammond was Top 20. Taylor was Top 40 or so, as was Slaughter. How many schools can field lineups like that? Not many.

And yet, you'd be crazy to trade a player like Stewart (easily the best in the nation coming out) for a whole team of 5-25 ranked players. 1 Stewart is worth some much more, especially in WCBB.

I wouldn't get too wrapped up in high school rankings either. They don't actually define how good anyone really is.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Bria Smith and Schimmel were Top 10 recruits. Hammond was Top 20. Taylor was Top 40 or so, as was Slaughter. How many schools can field lineups like that? Not many.

UConn, Louisville, Tennessee, Duke, Notre Dame, Stanford, California, Maryland, Texas A&M, North Carolina, and Kentucky, off the top of my head (and depending upon the ranking service used).

 

[DobbsRover2]

UConn, Louisville, Tennessee, Duke, Notre Dame, Stanford, California, Maryland, Texas A&M, North Carolina, and Kentucky, off the top of my head (and depending upon the ranking service used).

Might add Baylor in there too. Besides the obvious 2 in recent years, they had a promising 2012 class.

 

[Striper69]

One positive thing that I did see from Louisville was no 'flopping' performances from Smith & company !

Dolson did a flop on that tap in the first half...