Title Game will be UConn vs winner of ND & SC

[easttexastrash]

That was the ugliest game.... EVER. It was so bad it was hilarious. There was a whistle every 3 seconds to the point where my wife left the room and was out of view of the TV heard the whistle blow and said... "Let me guess a Baylor player fell down?" Sadly, she was right.

Mulkey's daughter is now a Baylor assistant of some sort. She fell on the sidelines the other night and the opposing team was called for a foul.

 

[JordyG]

To me Baylor resembles USC more than any team at the Dance, and UConn's history against tall teams is excellent. This UCONN team has a history of problems against smaller guard oriented or perimeter teams. Also teams that haven't faced current UCONN teams historically get their doors blown off. UCONN by 15 in the final.

 

[JordyG]

Baylor gave us a tough game last year, with some bizarre officiating. They are more talented this year. I think they are a threat. I'm not worried about SC.

Which year was that?

 

[MilfordHusky]

Wasn't that 2 years ago ?
January 2014. In Waco, O. Sims was 4 of 25 from the floor. UConn by 11 in a low scoring affair.

Yeah, actually. Nina was an unknown at the time.

 

[baggerbob]

Seems unfair to Maryland. They've been to back to back FF's and I agree with those who think that ND will have a struggle getting by them if they meet.

I take the Terps seriously. I was at the game in The Garden and that win for us was never certain. It took Saniya's three to relax us at the end.

But if ND does get by Maryland I think that this is their best year to win it all since they beat us in the semi's in '11 (and then forgot how to beat an inferior opponent in the final).

I'm with everyone else on the UCONN side in believing that we will find a way to win it all again, and I don't buy into the argument that if had Turner played, the December game would have gone differently (with Turner in the game Mabrey 2 would not have been fed the ball each time down the court and Turner would have been forced to outdual Stewie, obviously not an easy task), but I think that this is better balanced ND team than the ones of the last two years (not more talented, better balanced).

It's a tournament so any of the 1's could get beaten along the way, but I think that this year it looks like the four favorites will get to play in Indy.

In the all access show Geno was wondering if Stewie had everything checked off at the beginning of the season for her Senior year. I believe, she checked off the last box when she , and KLS had their little sit down. The team needed that last piece of the puzzle to become a dominant team for the tourney. KLS has size which she is finally using, not only to shoot, but she adds more length, and speed to the press.

 

[Tonyc]

MD ND is a toss up. MD could win that game if ND struggles. Green Bay Tenn. Hey Tenn finds ways to lose this season.
SC Ohio St Ohio St can put up a lot of points. Two things. Ohio St needs to take care of the ball and hit their outside shots
Baylor Oregon St/Louisville Will be a very good game.
UConn UCLA/Texas UConn is just too good to athletic with their bigs.

Hey there are a lot of great teams in the tournament. UConn is better then great.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I keep saying and will till the cows come home that the way to beat the Irish is with your bigs! If you have 3-4 halfway talented Bigs, you can beat ND. MD, UCONN, FSU, Baylor, have a roster that'll give ND trouble.
As great a player as B. Turner is she can't stop- -Stewie, Tuck, Gabby, Collier, KLS, & Butler by herself! Even if Reimer stayed ND would be weak in the Bigs department!
If Turner plays 32 to 35 minutes as she's sure to do, that's a 3-point shooting G that is sitting on the pines.
UCONN won't allow 13 3's again anyway, but if a G sits UCONN wins by 25+ points.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

It could be: UCONN, Baylor, the OSU & MD in the FF! And Baylor faces some challenges of their own before the FF.
Being a #1 this year doesn't mean a pass into the FF as in past years!

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Here are the BIGS for possible opponents of Notre Dame: RED = pretty good player

ND Baylor MD UCONN SoCar
Kristina Nelson 6'4" Kalani Brown 6'7" Kiah Gillespi 6'2" Breanna Stewart 6'4" A'ja Wilson 6'5"
Diamond Thompson 6'5" Kadiijah Cave 6'3" Malina Howard 6'4" Natalie Butler 6'5" Sarah Imbovioh 6'2"
Brianna Turner 6'3" Nina Davis 5'11" Tierney Pfiman 6'2" Naphesa Collier 6'1" Jatarie White 6'4"
Kathryn Westbeld 6'2" Kristina Higgins 6'5" Brianna Fraser 6'3" KLS 6'3" Alaina Coates 6'4"
has played Forward Beatrice Mompremier 6'4" Brionna Jones 6'3" Morgan Tuck 6'2"
Madison Cable 5'10" Gabby Williams 5'11"
Michaela Mabrey 5'10"
Cable & Mabrey 1 = better at G than F Butler at this time a work in progress

As I've said the way to beat ND is through /C positions/ND Bigs (except Turner) are very shaky/not reliable

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Damn, I had everything in nice columns and it became a quagmire..............................
Sorry 'bout that!

 

[hoopfan515]

I am not worried about Notre Dame. They might not make it past Maryland.

If Jewell Loyd had returned for her Senior Year, they would have given UCONN a close game, although UCONN would have still pulled it out at the end. That would have been the only way they could have kept the game close. Without her this year forget it.

 

[EricLA]

I wouldn't be surprised to see SC not make the final 4. Like the rest of the SEC, they are offensively challenged. A team like OSU could give them fits...

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Well, I finally saw a team worse than TN, Green Bay! They were more offensively challenged than TN. Unbelievable!
In the 4th period GB spread the floor only looking for the 3 and their G's refused to drive the open lane creating layups or fouls or passing out to open 3 point shooters except for 1 time and she missed an open layup.
If TN plays Az St. the same as GB they'll lose by 20!

 

[Dillon77]

Here are the BIGS for possible opponents of Notre Dame: RED = pretty good player

ND Baylor MD UCONN SoCar
Kristina Nelson 6'4" Kalani Brown 6'7" Kiah Gillespi 6'2" Breanna Stewart 6'4" A'ja Wilson 6'5"
Diamond Thompson 6'5" Kadiijah Cave 6'3" Malina Howard 6'4" Natalie Butler 6'5" Sarah Imbovioh 6'2"
Brianna Turner 6'3" Nina Davis 5'11" Tierney Pfiman 6'2" Naphesa Collier 6'1" Jatarie White 6'4"
Kathryn Westbeld 6'2" Kristina Higgins 6'5" Brianna Fraser 6'3" KLS 6'3" Alaina Coates 6'4"
has played Forward Beatrice Mompremier 6'4" Brionna Jones 6'3" Morgan Tuck 6'2"
Madison Cable 5'10" Gabby Williams 5'11"
Michaela Mabrey 5'10"
Cable & Mabrey 1 = better at G than F Butler at this time a work in progress

As I've said the way to beat ND is through /C positions/ND Bigs (except Turner) are very shaky/not reliable

BTW, the columns worked well when I hit reply...see them all nicely laid out in front of me. Thanks for laying out.

In regards to ND, I agree that one of the ways to attack ND is at the forward/center slot. Taya Reimer, now departed, was a solid, if not spectacular, partner to Brianna Turner, with a good jumper and entry passes from the foul line/elbow. A minor quibble: Kat Westbeld, who was supposed to the sub off the bench when the season started, but has started every games due to Reimer's departure and/or Turner's early-season injury, is not shaky or unreliable. Not spectacular by any means, but has played solidly, particularly in the ACC tournament. She'll do a lot of the dirty work, works the offense and is getting more confidence in her jumper.

You are on-target with Nelson and Thompson. Nelson can have her moments, but Diamond is still very rough and is a foul call waiting to happen.

Cable will do work on the boards, as will Marina Mabrey (Mabrey2) and, surprisingly, 5'8" Arike Ogunbolwale. Not optimal, but you've got to go with what you have. Which is why our first option off the bench is 5'9" guard Hannah Huffman, who will come in for Westbeld. Her energy and grit, with a surprisingly deft entry pass, has been essential to the Irish. She is small, but strong and surprisingly fast. She will also hit the floor at any time in pursuit of 50/50's (a lacrosse term seems apt with her). When teams try to press us, she's usually working with Lindsay Allen to break the press.

Once again, outside of Turner, nothing to match up against the savvy Tuck and sublime Stewie, but you ride the horses that got you there....

 

[Dillon77]

Hmmmmm - you're right. Guess I better go to that game too, just to maximize my chances of watching TN lose

Well, Tenn "pulled that out." Watching that game, I felt the major -- only -- advantage that UTenn had was size and/or athletic ability. They grabbed a mess of offensive rebounds for second/third chances and they were able to harass Green Bay's offense. Still, if the Phoenix could've taken a collective sigh and hit a few (any?) three pointers, the Orange could've been on a plane. Well, survive and move on. The next match-up against ASU will be interesting...

 

[Dillon77]

Well, I finally saw a team worse than TN, Green Bay! They were more offensively challenged than TN. Unbelievable!
In the 4th period GB spread the floor only looking for the 3 and their G's refused to drive the open lane creating layups or fouls or passing out to open 3 point shooters except for 1 time and she missed an open layup.
If TN plays Az St. the same as GB they'll lose by 20!

With you on this (see below comments) "Drive and kick" were three words you would've heard in my viewing room during that entire fourth quarter. Wasn't like Tenn was pulling away.