UConn a 1 Seed????

[Vowelguy]

Years ago the Arkansas University Football team was every year invited to post season events. For one reason only--their fans were "mobile", i.e. they'd travel anywhere at any time to watch their team (Arkansas) play. MONEY makes NCAA sports go round and round. Uconn will fill Bridgeport, money. And the NcAA gets their share. I like your again positive dissertation.

The bowls are not the NCAA. Money from a bowl goes to that bowl.

A question: suppose that Princeton and Tennessee were both on the bubble and there's one spot left. Princeton has a stronger resume.

Should the NCAA invite Princeton, with the stronger resume, or Tennessee, which will generate much more revenue in terms of ticket sales and TV ratings?

 

[Monte]

Bridgeport is already sold out.

Not quite; about 85% sold out.

 

[Jds]

I looks thin to me also. But explain why UConn is No 5 in the NET? NET measures quality of play and SOS so the SC could just as easily say:

"Despite appearances, The NET is quite clear that Uconn is the top 2 seed, especially since their already impressive NET was earned with their top 2 players missing large portions of the season with injuries"

I don't expect that but it's easy to justify a lot of positions. Since I don't have tickets to Bridgeport I have no iron in the fire and UConn has historically played well away from home.

Not quite; about 85% sold out.

And if UConn wasn't in Bridgeport the majority of those seats would be empty. Especially for the regional final on a Monday night.

 

[01Neaggrad02]

I really wish people would relax a little and not get so worked up about the "mock" bracket. It is in fact "MOCK".... it is not real. Everyone freaks out, "Did you see we are going to Greensboro with South Carolina???" Are we? Who said? Someone is making an educated guess. IF UCONN plays UCONN ball like they have of late, I think they will win the Big East Tourney... (sorry Nova).... but look at the other teams who are ahead of UCONN and remember that many of them are in the same conference. According to the Highlander, "There can be only one".... so that means a number of teams are going to lose games between now and Selection Monday. What these losses look like could impact the brackets. A close game or blowout...
If you look at the last "Mock" bracket it had Tennessee as a 2 seed over UCONN. Hello, UCONN crushed Tennessee while short Paige and Caroline if I am not mistaken. There is no way Tennessee should be seeded ahead of UCONN. I could easily see UCONN a 2 seed in Bridgeport. I think the selection committee with focus on geography knowing UCONN is a money maker... they probably will come to realize they want their golden goose close to home.

 

[Vowelguy]

And if UConn wasn't in Bridgeport the majority of those seats would be empty. Especially for the regional final on a Monday night.

So?

If the committee only cared about money, the regional finals would be in Storrs, Columbia SC, Knoxville, and Waco every year.

 

[nomdoux]

Although I expect UConn to improve to a Top-8 ranking overall & #2 seed when the field is announced, I don't foresee UConn ending up in Bridgeport, for two reasons: (1) putting them so close to home in an off-year would be unfair to a clearly deserving #1 seed-- likely either NC State or Louisville but possibly Baylor or LSU-- insofar as this team would be essentially playing an imposing road game against the heavy "home team" Huskies, and (2) slotting UConn in Bridgeport puts them on the same side of the bracket as South Carolina, which would eliminate this Championship game matchup potential.

I anticipate the NCAA Committee putting SC on one side of the draw & UConn/Stanford on the other, with all 3 having paths to Minneapolis that do not involve playing each other beforehand.

Having said all of this, the conspiracy theory cynic in me is conjuring the notion that the NCAA-- lobbied by marquee figures-- actually wants to stack the draw against UConn advancing to the Final Four, thus breaking its extraordinary streak & exclaiming their coveted parity narrative at the highest level. The most effective way of doing this is to put them in SC's quadrant.

 

[Monte]

And if UConn wasn't in Bridgeport the majority of those seats would be empty. Especially for the regional final on a Monday night.

Empty, maybe; but paid for already.

 

[msf22b]

-UConn will be in Bridgeport

- I dont think either teams can come within 15 pts of UConn and it could be more then that. IMO it really doesnt matter who comes to... UConn right now is playing at an level higher then any team in WCBB with depth and confidence.

For some time now, Tony and I have failed to agree about Bridgeport...My argument, the flip side of
Tony's is...if they're ever going to send us away, this is the year.

But where Tony adjusts the script to have UConn play in CT., I put my foot down that it is impossible to punish Dawn by putting UConn in her regional, creating a real likelihood of SC not getting out of the elite-8 (my view) and near certainty (Tony's view)

Not going to happen...they may send us away, but no way to Greensboro to threaten Dawn's season.
That would be a bit unfair.

Anywhere else would be fun.

I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see this team go all the way, causing confusion and destruction in its path, but let's leave SC for the final-4.

 

[Plebe]

If you look at the last "Mock" bracket it had Tennessee as a 2 seed over UCONN. Hello, UCONN crushed Tennessee while short Paige and Caroline if I am not mistaken.

Which bracket are you referring to? In the previous committee reveal of Feb. 10, Tennessee was #12 overall, behind UConn. If you're referring to Creme's projections, he hasn't had Tennessee as a 2 seed since well before that.

 

[Monte]

I believe, that with the new Tourney setup next year, it is unlikely that a Regional final will ever be held in Bridgeport again.

 

[Vowelguy]

I believe, that with the new Tourney setup next year, it is unlikely that a Regional final will ever be held in Bridgeport again.

2023: Greenville SC and Seattle
2024: Albany and Portland OR
2025: Birmingham and Spokane
2026: Fort Worth and Sacramento

This also proves that the NCAA cares about more than money. Because most of those western regionals are going to stink.
Why on earth the west got exactly half of the regionals for the next 4 years is beyond me. The west has the fewest D1 schools, the fewest major schools, and each western site has only a handful of schools within 500 miles. Just an awful terrible move.

If you wanted to attract fans, then the south should be the region that had 1/2 the regionals.

 

[Alydar]

Empty, maybe; but paid for already.

Tell that to the concessionaire.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

You can argue seeding all night long but remember 2001, Notre Dame beat UCONN during the season and was seeded #1 and UCONN #2 in the Big East Tournament held at Gampel. The finals were ND vs UCONN and UCONN pulled out the victory on Sue Bird's last second shot!
When the NCAA Committee finished seeding the National Tournament, ND was the overall #1 seed to UCONN's #2 overall seed and when asked why ND was the overall #1 seed when the Chairwoman of the committee was asked how ND was given the #1 seed, she replied "Notre Dame beat UCONN in the Big East Tournament finals!" When told UCONN won the Big East Finals. she said, "Did they?"
So there's no predicting what the committee will do!
Reason goes out the window when the committee gets in that room!

 

[dabears17]

I believe, that with the new Tourney setup next year, it is unlikely that a Regional final will ever be held in Bridgeport again.

2023-2026 Regional sites have been selected. Albany is one of the sites in 2024.

Women’s Final Four: Future dates & sites

A complete listing of the future dates and sites for the women's DI college basketball championship.

www.ncaa.com

 

[Cuango]

Why would Dawn be mad if we were in her bracket?

9

 

[LETTERL]

As it stands now either NC State or LVIlle depending on who wins the ACC tourney will end up in Bridgeport. I dont think either teams can come within 15 pts of UConn and it could be more then that.

You honestly believe UCONN would beat NC State by more than 15 points? Our largest loss of the season was 9 points to South Carolina -- in the opening game of the season when we were without one key player off the bench and with another starter playing limited minutes recuperating from an injury.

Interesting.

 

[eebmg]

The only sure thing is UConn - Iowa in the same region.

 

[oldude]

You honestly believe UCONN would beat NC State by more than 15 points? Our largest loss of the season was 9 points to South Carolina -- in the opening game of the season when we were without one key player off the bench and with another starter playing limited minutes recuperating from an injury.

Interesting.

Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport is a really tough place to play the Huskies for whatever reason. I’ve been to 4 of UConn’s regional games there and the MOV’s were as follows:

• MS St +60 (piranhas on a roast game)
• TX +21
• UCLA +21
• Oregon +38

Not saying that the same fate awaits the Wolfpack, but an MOV by UConn of +15 or greater would not surprise me at all.

 

[Vowelguy]

You honestly believe UCONN would beat NC State by more than 15 points? Our largest loss of the season was 9 points to South Carolina -- in the opening game of the season when we were without one key player off the bench and with another starter playing limited minutes recuperating from an injury.

Interesting.

It’s TonyC. He thinks UConn would beat the Harlem Globetrotters by 14. So grading on the curve, NCSt is pretty good.

 

[Vowelguy]

Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport is a really tough place to play the Huskies for whatever reason. I’ve been to 4 of UConn’s regional games there and the MOV’s were as follows:

• MS St +60 (piranhas on a roast game)
• TX +21
• UCLA +21
• Oregon +38

Not saying that the same fate awaits the Wolfpack, but an MOV by UConn of +15 or greater would not surprise me at all.

Correlation <> causation
I suspect the issue was not playing in Bridgeport but the fact that UConn was a great team (that had earned that 1 seed) and would’ve crushed those teams regardless of location.

 

[oldude]

Correlation <> causation
I suspect the issue was not playing in Bridgeport but the fact that UConn was a great team (that had earned that 1 seed) and would’ve crushed those teams regardless of location.

Maybe so. But if the Huskies end up in Bridgeport, Webster Bank is a single-tiered arena that holds about 10,000 fans, the vast majority of whom will be loudly rooting for UConn, and they are right on top of you. It’s the closest thing possible to playing at Gampel, and it’s intimidating as hell to anyone not named UConn.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

No actually more the opposite. Those are just games, like any other game.
That said, if a team beats 3 high quality teams on the way to winning the conf champiionship, that can only help their resume.
But the committee has been clear that the regular season matters a lot. Good or bad play on one weekend is not going to significantly change a team's status.

I mostly agree with your points, but losing to unrnked teams before the conference championship game still can hurt a team.

That said, many Power 5 conferences will have four ranked teams in their semi-final match-ups, so minimal damage for them.

As the only currently ranked team in the Big East, UCONN must play well - continuing the current performance and improving - will bring them the BE Championship, and should solidify the #2 seed in Bridgeport for the Huskies. To become a #1, two of the top five [in the nation] wouldl need to lose before the semi-finals of their conference tournaments to an unranked team IMHO, and in the CRAZY season we have seen, it could happen....

 

[Stymie]

My only question is:
What is Geno’s game plan to have Olivia, Aayliah and Dorka neutralize Boston?
Not too worried about Brink from Stanford.
And UCONN will crush Louisville in any rematch.
Game plan to thwart Boston is the championship gambit.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

I don’t think there’s any way they put UConn with SC. I’m pretty sure Dawn would go ballistic, and while they don’t take their marching orders from her, I’m quite sure they don’t want to deal with that unless it’s absolutely necessary, which it does not seem to be. I would bet on UConn as the #2 seed in Bridgeport. I have no doubt they would love to stick it to us in an effort to reduce our chances of yet another Final Four, but I think money and fear of Dawn Staley will outweigh that inclination.

100% agree! Dawn is the US National coach, and deserves the respect that goes with that distinction, just as Geno had while he was on the unpresidented run of World and Olympic Gold medals (with lots of UCONN alums on the teams).

Previous National Championship programs [in the previous ten years] should be kept apart in the regional stage IF AND ONLY IF they are having relatively good seasons. My definition of "relatively good seasons" is if they win their Conference regular season AND their conference tournament as a check on their current performance heading into the NCAA Tourney.

Not sure how to get that approved for the tournament selection committee....

 

[oldude]

My only question is:
What is Geno’s game plan to have Olivia, Aayliah and Dorka neutralize Boston?
Not too worried about Brink from Stanford.
And UCONN will crush Louisville in any rematch.
Game plan to thwart Boston is the championship gambit.

What is SC’s plan to neutralize Paige, Azzi, Caroline, Christyn & Evina, among others?

 

[The CDR-Ret]

For some time now, Tony and I have failed to agree about Bridgeport...My argument, the flip side of
Tony's is...if they're ever going to send us away, this is the year.

But where Tony adjusts the script to have UConn play in CT., I put my foot down that it is impossible to punish Dawn by putting UConn in her regional, creating a real likelihood of SC not getting out of the elite-8 (my view) and near certainty (Tony's view)

Not going to happen...they may send us away, but no way to Greensboro to threaten Dawn's season.
That would be a bit unfair.

Anywhere else would be fun.

I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see this team go all the way, causing confusion and destruction in its path, but let's leave SC for the final-4.

Why not Witchita?

Avenge the December loss against Louisville, after doing the same to Villanova in the BET. Kind of like erasing mistakes on a test and writing down the correct answer before handing in the test....

 

[Tonyc]

What is SC’s plan to neutralize Paige, Azzi, Caroline, Christyn & Evina, among others?

Agree with you oldude because guards win championships and we have them in abundance. We are also deep down low and we have height we can play at the top of the key. Bottom line is we're healthy and UConn is Back

 

[LwrcasefaN]

My only question is:
What is Geno’s game plan to have Olivia, Aayliah and Dorka neutralize Boston?
Not too worried about Brink from Stanford.
And UCONN will crush Louisville in any rematch.
Game plan to thwart Boston is the championship gambit.

I don't think you need to spend a ton of capital neutralizing Boston. She's going to score. I think a more probable strategy is keeping their guards out of the paint and turning them into jump shooters. AND...limit the offensive rebounds. I was also wondering if Boston would be up to playing close to 40 minutes. She's been pulled early in a lot of their games.

 

[ME Husky Fan]

I agree that SC and Stanford would be unfavorable matchups prior to a Final Four. I realize that Louisville demolished ND, thrashed Michigan early in the season and already beat UConn, but I believe they are more easily beaten now.

The way to beat Louisville is through superior guard play and getting Emily Engstler into foul trouble. Last year, against Syracuse in the tournament, she was a non factor. Having Paige available, reading and reacting will negate their pressure defense, which is where Louisville generates much of their offense. The ND game notwithstanding, Louis like is not a great outside shooting team, although Hailey Van Lith could make me eat my words.

In the end, it doesn’t matter where UConn is seeded. As a team, they are light years ahead of where they were in December, and all but the most optimistic fans then had a hard time seeing light from the tunnel.

I wasn’t impressed with Engstler last year, thought she was more than a bit lazy but she’s surprised me with her play but I agree to get in her grill (for Doris Burke reach-out) is the way to upset her. Van Lith is a bull and can put that team on her back but they’ve shown inconsistencies, but who hasn’t.

 

[marti3td]

We absolutely will be and should be a 2 seed in Bridgeport.