Toughest regular-season game?

[Plebe]

We're now three weeks away from the start of the season. Let the anticipation escalate.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Remember Tulane. You just never know. Going to say UCLA because of that early season schedule/travel thing.

 

[Sonny44]

I said Texas because most of the other traditional rivals look like a down year and SC has never given us a problem. Texas looking really good on paper so we'll see.

 

[Rema64]

Remember Florida State. Once we see how Z , Batouly and the freshman play we can better assess how the season will go.

 

[bags27]

I said Maryland because I'm going to that game

seriously, even though it's a home game, my feeling is that the only way UConn loses a game this year is if someone sneaks up on them at the beginning of the season. Once they're in gear, they will be a terror. So, yes, TX in theory may be the most challenging, because it's TX and the second road game in 3 nights, but by then they will be riding their momentum, and, if Crystal is as good as Geno says she is, I see by mid-Jan. an unstoppable fast break offense.

 

[HopJim]

I said Texas because most of the other traditional rivals look like a down year and SC has never given us a problem. Texas looking really good on paper so we'll see.

Texas likely to play a very physical style difficult to prepare for. If Husky outside shots going in, likely won't be close. If UT can push them outside and keep Lou from getting hot, will be tough game.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I tossed between TX & SoCar but settled on SoCar!
I agree with posts above if they're on their game and healthy they'll be very difficult to defeat!
They'll have the potential to score 85 ppg with their defense capable of holding opponents under 45 ppg!
So opponents must hold UCONN around 60 points and score 20 points more than the average, very difficult!
UCONN should have 6 players averaging double digits per game - Nurse, Crystal Dangerfield, KLS, Collier, Azura, & Gabby!

 

[ChicagoGG]

I'm saying Stanford because Tara is always ready for us...because we are melding in new players...because it would (at worst) be the first back-to-back losses in years, years, years.....because I have to worry about something!

 

[MilfordHusky]

I'm saying Stanford because Tara is always ready for us...because we are melding in new players...because it would (at worst) be the first back-to-back losses in years, years, years.....because I have to worry about something!

I’m going with the approach that the toughest game is always the next game. I also am concerned about Tara’s ability to plan plus her talented freshmen. I sure don’t like the idea of a losing streak beyond 1 game.

That said, I voted for the S.C. game.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I said Maryland because I'm going to that game

seriously, even though it's a home game, my feeling is that the only way UConn loses a game this year is if someone sneaks up on them at the beginning of the season. Once they're in gear, they will be a terror. So, yes, TX in theory may be the most challenging, because it's TX and the second road game in 3 nights, but by then they will be riding their momentum, and, if Crystal is as good as Geno says she is, I see by mid-Jan. an unstoppable fast break offense.

Maryland lost Breonna Jones, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, and Destiny Slocum. I don’t think anyone, even South Carolina, lost that much talent. Of course, we lost our Turtle Killer, Saniya Chong.

 

[bags27]

Maryland lost Breonna Jones, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, and Destiny Slocum. I don’t think anyone, even South Carolina, lost that much talent. Of course, we lost our Turtle Killer, Saniya Chong.

good point. With Saniya gone, we just have to hope that Lou gets sick again!

 

[donalddoowop]

I believe when Uconn plays Texas, Holmes won't be playing. That could be tough for Texas to overcome.

 

[CocoHusky]

I believe when Uconn plays Texas, Holmes won't be playing. That could be tough for Texas to overcome.

UCONN plays at Texas on January 15, 2018. Holmes is believed to be on 1 Semester absence from Texas. Per the UT calendar the spring semester begins on January 4, 2018 so Holmes should be back and playing in the UCONN game, which will be her 3rd game of the season. There has been some speculation that Holmes might not return to Texas at all, this has been dismissed by @southie seems to be the most reliable source on all things Texas.
I think UCONN puts on a show at Texas and I hope Charli Collier is in attendance.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Went with South Carolina, though I did give consideration to the Texas game, and also Stanford because well Tara likes breaking UConn streaks.

 

[Golden Husky]

Went with South Carolina, though I did give consideration to the Texas game, and also Stanford because well Tara likes breaking UConn streaks.

I haven't heard this much angst since the last time I listened to The Shangri-Las. None of Tara's players were even born the last time she won a national championship. Meanwhile, across the court from her is our guy, the--wait for it--"Leader of the Pack" with a record 11 national championships in the last 22 years. If there's any hand-wringing, maybe it should be the Stanford fans who are reaching for the Jurgens.

 

[Plebe]

UCONN plays at Texas on January 15, 2018. Holmes is believed to be on 1 Semester absence from Texas. Per the UT calendar the spring semester begins on January 4, 2018 so Holmes should be back and playing in the UCONN game, which will be her 3rd game of the season. There has been some speculation that Holmes might not return to Texas at all, this has been dismissed by @southie seems to be the most reliable source on all things Texas.
I think UCONN puts on a show at Texas and I hope Charli Collier is in attendance.

UT's official statement on the Holmes situation says she can rejoin the team on December 23:

Statement from UT Athletics on Joyner Holmes

So she'll miss all their OOC games in November and December. The Florida State game on Dec. 17 is UT's last game before Christmas break. Their first game after Christmas is the Big 12 opener at Oklahoma on Dec. 28. So Joyner will be eligible to play in six games before the UConn game on Jan. 15.

 

[MilfordHusky]

UT's official statement on the Holmes situation says she can rejoin the team on December 23:

Statement from UT Athletics on Joyner Holmes

So she'll miss all their OOC games in November and December. The Florida State game on Dec. 17 is UT's last game before Christmas break. Their first game after Christmas is the Big 12 opener at Oklahoma on Dec. 28. So Joyner will be eligible to play in six games before the UConn game on Jan. 15.

When someone misses a semester, usually the player doesn’t wait until the new semester starts to play. As soon as the other semester ends, the player becomes eligible—I take that to mean the day after the last day of finals.

 

[wallman]

Of course you know who I voted for, c'mon Plebe I thought you liked us. TVD and crew are great scouters, but as stated they are not the same team as last year and will be playing players who never saw minutes last year, so hopefully it will be us.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Stanford very well could be starting 2 Jr. and 2 Sr. who have plenty of experience in Johnson, Smith, McPhee and Sniezek, plus Fingall and Carrington got their feet wet last year. This is not an inexperienced team at all, I don't know why that perception exists.

UCLA has great building blocks w/ Billings and Canada. Burke and Hayes have plenty of experience, plus they get Drummer back. They'll miss the shooting of Korver and Kornet. Plenty of new players to work into the rotation for the Bruins as well. Honestly I think both teams are fairly close in terms of mixing veteran players with newcomers.

 

[wallman]

Johnson played ave. 15 minutes last year and Smith played ave 19 mins but most of those were towards the end of the year which will help her but she has a tendency to foul. Sniezek ave 24 but it was Roberson who was in the game for D and when they needed stops and score etc.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Johnson has been in and out of the starting lineup since her freshman year (does anybody other than me notice that Tara juggles starting lineups more than other high profile program in the country, by a wide margin?). She's plenty experienced. Late in the season I thought Smith was the best big on the roster, better than McCall even. She had a number of games where she was unstoppable scoring. Sniezek was a far better PG than Roberson. Not even close. Roberson was a better shooter from distance. I'll give you the defense. But the O flowed much much better w/ Sniezek on the floor.

 

[wallman]

I saw that too. I disagree on the better PG, I would say it is a toss up as Sniezek was a liability offensively as we just sagged off her the whole time.

 

[Plebe]

Stanford very well could be starting 2 Jr. and 2 Sr. who have plenty of experience in Johnson, Smith, McPhee and Sniezek, plus Fingall and Carrington got their feet wet last year. This is not an inexperienced team at all, I don't know why that perception exists.

UCLA has great building blocks w/ Billings and Canada. Burke and Hayes have plenty of experience, plus they get Drummer back. They'll miss the shooting of Korver and Kornet. Plenty of new players to work into the rotation for the Bruins as well. Honestly I think both teams are fairly close in terms of mixing veteran players with newcomers.

Agreed, but no doubt the loss of the McCall-Samuelson-Roberson trio is more costly than the loss of Korver-Kornet-Hersler. You're right that the big concern for UCLA is where their outside shooting will come from. Burke and Canada are capable 3-point shooters but it's not really their strength. The Bruins will need contributions from their freshmen if they're to have any depth at all. Last year's team went only 7 deep, and the only two bench contributors are not with them anymore (Hersler is a graduate transfer to Florida).

 

[nwhoopfan]

Sniezek isn't a big scorer, but she can drive, and she can really dish the ball. I'd expect her to play plenty of minutes but if not there are 2 formerly highly rated prep PGs waiting in the wings in Wilson and Williams.

 

[UConnCat]

Tara herself described the team as "a very new, young team." Apparently she's installing a new offense for the young personnel.