UConn and its bracket - the first two rounds at Gampel

[Bone Dog]

Both Addy Brown and Arianna Jackson missed some games, both are back. Is there someone else you were thinking of?

Addy Brown missed 11 games and I think there is some question whether she has regained her pre-injury form. Arianna Jackson missed 3 games and seems to be back up to speed. She is also platooning with McKenzie Hare (Marquette transfer) so there wasn’t much drop off there. But Brown is the key figure next to Audi and Jada. When she went down, the team suffered. The same would happen if Jada was injured.

I think this points to an obvious defensive strategy: try to limit Audi’s touches (obviously) but let the main focus be on Jada and Addy. UConn has the personnel to shut both of them down. This part is not rocket surgery, as they say. It wouldn’t even represent much of a departure from Geno’s usual practice. The UConn guard rotation is deeper than any other team’s and Geno is unafraid to use it to run opponents into the ground. I think folks often overlook this because Sarah is so dazzling. She is undoubtedly great, perhaps the best player in all of D1. But I’d argue the guard rotation is the backbone of the team. This is Geno’s masterpiece this season.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Is there any way to convince folks that the Huskies don’t have to win big or win pretty, they just need to win, even if it’s by only one point?

You know close games send us to the pharmacy!

 

[meyers7]

Addy Brown missed 11 games and I think there is some question whether she has regained her pre-injury form. Arianna Jackson missed 3 games and seems to be back up to speed. She is also platooning with McKenzie Hare (Marquette transfer) so there wasn’t much drop off there. But Brown is the key figure next to Audi and Jada. When she went down, the team suffered. The same would happen if Jada was injured.

I think this points to an obvious defensive strategy: try to limit Audi’s touches (obviously) but let the main focus be on Jada and Addy. UConn has the personnel to shut both of them down. This part is not rocket surgery, as they say. It wouldn’t even represent much of a departure from Geno’s usual practice. The UConn guard rotation is deeper than any other team’s and Geno is unafraid to use it to run opponents into the ground. I think folks often overlook this because Sarah is so dazzling. She is undoubtedly great, perhaps the best player in all of D1. But I’d argue the guard rotation is the backbone of the team. This is Geno’s masterpiece this season.

Or "rock science", as @Tonyc says.

 

[Huskee11]

Or "rock science", as @Tonyc says.

Sometimes called "Geology".

The intro Geology course at my college was commonly referred to as "rocks for jocks", so not many rocket surgeons in those classes.

 

[Bone Dog]

Sometimes called "Geology".

The intro Geology course at my college was commonly referred to as "rocks for jocks", so not many rocket surgeons in those classes.

Our daughter had to take ‘Rocks for Jocks’ to satisfy a breadth requirement at Haverford. She was a Japanese Lit major but still found it interesting. But she said there were moments when it felt like rocket surgery.

 

[ConnMotors]

This is Fudd's last run, I'm hoping she really puts on a show.

I would love to see her at 60% from 3. She would really be lighting it up. I still think that she again will be the MVP of the Tournament when it’s completed.

 

[Skeets]

Is there any way to convince folks that the Huskies don’t have to win big or win pretty, they just need to win, even if it’s by only one point?

Blaspheme! 😊

 

[Fastbreak]

It sounds like Geno is having a senior moment. He knows the seeding rules.

How does UCLA get Iowa and UCONN gets Vanderbilt?

 

[meyers7]

How does UCLA get Iowa and UCONN gets Vanderbilt?

They don't. They get LSU.

 

[Phil]

Geno Re:Vanderbilt

The Commodores were a 1-seed in the first bracket reveal back in February but suffered a bad loss at Georgia, then got blown out by Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament. Since two top-four seeds from the same conference can’t occupy the same region, Vanderbilt had to be placed with either UConn or UCLA. The Commodores ultimately slipped behind LSU, which sent them to the Huskies’ quadrant.

That’s the official explanation, at least. Auriemma isn’t quite so convinced.

“I haven't looked at it close enough, but the way it was explained to me, that would be like they are the number eight team in the country. I find that hard to believe. I find that hard to believe,” he said. “Hopefully they were put there because that's where they deserve to be, not because of some ulterior motive… That would be disrespectful to Vanderbilt and to Shea.”

​

I'm surprised that Geno is surprised when he said "I haven't looked at it close enough, but the way it was explained to me, that would be like they are the number eight team in the country. I find that hard to believe. I find that hard to believe".

As he well knows, the pure S-curve would pick the top overall seed against the 8 seed. But then there are some rules that modify that simplistic assignment.

If we look at the NCAA overall seeds DI Women's Basketball Rankings - 2026 March Madness women's seeding | NCAA.com, the eighth best team was Michigan. UConn already played Michigan and they try to avoid matchups when possible. The seventh-seeded team is Vanderbilt, and UConn hasn't played Vanderbilt. Case closed.

One possibility is that Geno felt Vanderbilt should be ranked higher. But even if you swap them with the next one up on the list, Iowa, that's also a team UConn has already played so unless you argue that Vanderbilt is really the fifth best team, it seems perfectly logical that UConn is playing Vanderbilt.

There are also rules about games conferences so with two SEC teams, topline Vanderbilt couldn't be in either one of them. I don't even think you need to invoke the conference rules, they started with Michigan decided not to assign Michigan to UConn if they can avoid it and they could avoid it.

 

[Phil]

Phil: no other name...I do get inside-type info on ISU...may have misunderstood something
though there is some concern about one of those kids being back but not up to her usual play.

I'm probably not following Iowa State as closely as you and Bone Dog have followed them. I watched a few games, and I was very aware that Addy Brown missed a number of games and that more or less coincided with their long losing streak. She returned and they did better, but I'll defer to Bone Dog that she may not have returned to pre-injury form. That would fit with the results. I did track down another guard missing games seem to be fully back. There are some other players who may be part of the equation but I didn't look beyond those two.

I still think this means that Iowa State is mis-seeded as an eight but those things happen.

 

[Henry]

Let Audi get hers and shut down others. Geno has used that strategy in the past. I'm thinking of Angel McCoutry on Louisville.

 

[Dogdude]

Is there any way to convince folks that the Huskies don’t have to win big or win pretty, they just need to win, even if it’s by only one point?

I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure there's an obscure rule that, say, if you lose a game by ten points, you can take accumulated points that you scored in previous games and apply them to that game, thus advancing even though you technically lost that game. Ergo, it behooves a team to win by as much as possible so if they need those points later, they have them. Now let's see how long it takes...

 

[CL82]

Is there any way to convince folks that the Huskies don’t have to win big or win pretty, they just need to win, even if it’s by only one point?

 

[CL82]

Our daughter had to take ‘Rocks for Jocks’ to satisfy a breadth requirement at Haverford. She was a Japanese Lit major but still found it interesting. But she said there were moments when it felt like rocket surgery.

Well, I'm glad she didn't take it for granite.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Today's discussion question: Is KK better today than Chen was at this point last year? Compare and contrast.

Bonus question: Is Heckel better today than KK was at this point last year?

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Today's discussion question: Is KK better today than Chen was at this point last year? Compare and contrast.

Bonus question: Is Heckel better today than KK was at this point last year?

KK and Chen: 2 very different players. Second question: same answer.

 

[Bone Dog]

Today's discussion question: Is KK better today than Chen was at this point last year? Compare and contrast.

Bonus question: Is Heckel better today than KK was at this point last year?

Put it this way: is the guard cohort this season as dominating as last season? I’m inclined to say Yes. Offensive and defensive stats tell us this very clearly. But eyeballs confirm it too.

Paige and Kaitlyn moved on, but Azzi is playing at a higher level this season on both ends of the court, and Allie adds a perimeter threat to cover some of the gap left by Paige and Kaitlyn. KK and Kayleigh are each more aggressive defenders than Kaitlyn was. And Ash is doing her thing with enhanced defensive intensity, which she probably learned from playing one year next to Nika. That stuff is contagious.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Put it this way: is the guard cohort this season as dominating as last season? I’m inclined to say Yes. Offensive and defensive stats tell us this very clearly. But eyeballs confirm it too.

Paige and Kaitlyn moved on, but Azzi is playing at a higher level this season on both ends of the court, and Allie adds a perimeter threat to cover some of the gap left by Paige and Kaitlyn. KK and Kayleigh are each more aggressive defenders than Kaitlyn was. And Ash is doing her thing with enhanced defensive intensity, which she probably learned from playing one year next to Nika. That stuff is contagious.

Oh so very diplomatic of you @Bone Dog . I love it. 😀 My first inclination was to reply Just answer the damn question. But there is no sense paying for anger management and ignoring those lesson. Right?

 

[OldSchooler]

Last weekend, after the selections were announced, ESPN ran a ribbon at the bottom of the screen, offering odds on various teams reaching various levels of the tournament (getting past the first round, reaching SS, EE, FF, etc.). E.g., UTSA's chance of reaching the round of 32 was 0.1%. For the better teams, odds were given on winning it all. I forget what South Carolina's chances were, but Texas was given a 13% chance of winning it all; UCLA 14%; UConn 48%! So what was all this debate about UConn vs UCLA being the #1 overall?

 

[Bone Dog]

So what was all this debate about UConn vs UCLA being the #1 overall?

Whatever it was, the bookies weren’t buying it.

 

[oldude]

Last weekend, after the selections were announced, ESPN ran a ribbon at the bottom of the screen, offering odds on various teams reaching various levels of the tournament (getting past the first round, reaching SS, EE, FF, etc.). E.g., UTSA's chance of reaching the round of 32 was 0.1%. For the better teams, odds were given on winning it all. I forget what South Carolina's chances were, but Texas was given a 13% chance of winning it all; UCLA 14%; UConn 48%! So what was all this debate about UConn vs UCLA being the #1 overall?

UTSA at 0.1% to beat UConn!!!! So you’re telling me there’s a chance…….😁

 

[Bone Dog]

UTSA at 0.1% to beat UConn!!!! So you’re telling me there’s a chance…….😁

We’re doomed.

 

[ctfjr]

Maybe this time, Shade and Allie will both be 10-13 with 27 points….,,

fixed it for you

 

[MilfordHusky]

Have you guys forgotten last year already? I’m pondering paying big bucks to fly up from Florida just to watch Audi chase Blanca for 20 minutes. In case the print is too small - it says UConn 101, Iowa State 68, and that was an early season game before the defense improved. Azzi didn’t play in that game, either

View attachment 118218

I believe the 20 3-pointers were a team record.