UConn at Baylor Jan 7th

[UConnCat]

 

[bballnut90]

Baylor with a great shot to run the table through the regular season if they can win that game

 

[soxfan23]

Good to see Baylor playing their typical powerhouse OOC schedule against the likes of Central Arkansas, Northwestern State, Southern, and McNeese State again this year.

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

And I know what the best possible Birthday Present the Huskies could give me that day!!!

 

[Plebe]

Baylor with a great shot to run the table through the regular season if they can win that game

Last year Baylor struggled mightily to put away South Florida on its home court. The return game in Tampa will not be a given.

The road game at Arkansas is an intriguing one, although I don't see them losing it because, well, Arkansas plays zero defense and rebounds about as well as my pet sloth.

On paper Baylor has a good shot at running the table, but last year's team had possibly an even better shot and they lost twice, including to Iowa State.

 

[Plebe]

I guess Mulkey is effectively announcing her starting 5 in that graphic. Hardly surprising:

Carrington
Smith
Egbo
Richards
Andrews

I'll be very interested to see how Sarah Andrews does as a freshman point guard (I suspect she'll be impressive) and how well Carrington can thrive on this team.

 

[Carnac]

Most of UConn’s non-conference schedule has trickled out in pieces, though fans are still awaiting to hear the date of the UConn-South Carolina game at Gampel Pavilion as well as the Big East’s dates for conference play. The Huskies have room to add one more non-league game to their schedule, though they have not announced any additional matchups at this point in time. An earlier report said they were looking at Arkansas Pine Bluff (a home & home series for "senior" Christyn Williams next year whose home is in Little Rock) and Maryland as possible teams to round out their schedule.

 

[Bigboote]

The road game at Arkansas is an intriguing one, although I don't see them losing it because, well, Arkansas plays zero defense and rebounds about as well as my pet sloth.

Yeah, but the sloth is used to playing among the trees.

 

[uconnever]

They are good, but I don’t think they beat us

 

[Plebe]

Yeah, but the sloth is used to playing among the trees.

It's one thing to play, it's another to be any good at it.

 

[bluedevil]

Good to see Baylor playing their typical powerhouse OOC schedule against the likes of Central Arkansas, Northwestern State, Southern, and McNeese State again this year.

Don't overlook Central Arkansas

 

[chrissaran]

Baylor won't beat UConn. They lost too many players, and their chemistry won't be the same.

 

[Steelerone]

It's one thing to play, it's another to be any good at it.

Is that a photo of the Dallas defensive coordinator?

 

[Steelerone]

Baylor won't beat UConn. They lost too many players, and their chemistry won't be the same.

I hope you are right Chrissaran but I never underestimate a Kim Mulkey team.

 

[Hayven]

Baylor won't beat UConn. They lost too many players, and their chemistry won't be the same.

Smith is going to be a problem for UConn. ONO can’t guard Smith and Egbo alone.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Is that a photo of the Dallas defensive coordinator?

How about them Cowboys?!? [2nd place in the division @ 2-5 - may make the playoffs at 5-11]

 

[Carnac]

Good to see Baylor playing their typical powerhouse OOC schedule against the likes of Central Arkansas, Northwestern State, Southern, and McNeese State again this year.

Soxfan, I gave you a like, and agree with you 1000%. However, in fairness, I must share two observations here.
1. Most of the low/mid-major programs Kim schedules receive a "cash" stipend for playing them. Most of those schools can really use the money, as their entire athletic program does not generate nearly enough revenue to balance their books at the end of the athletic school year. Some of theses schools are HBCU's. You could say Kim is giving back to the smaller programs that really need the $$$, and are glad to go on a road trip to Waco to get it. For many of these programs, the Farrell Center is the largest arena they will play in all year, and the largest crowd they will play in front of all year. Those programs see it as a win-win. It's the same when UConn plays exhibition games against Division 2/3/NAIA programs to begin the season. I had that same mind-set until a poster set me straight. Now, I'm cool with their preseason schedule.

2. Kim has been playing this type of "soft" schedule for years. It HAS NOT hurt her program yet come March when the tournament selection committee chooses the seeds. If Baylor handles their business during the regular season, they get a 1 seed, just like they did two years ago when they won it all. So I don't look for her to change her M.O. any time soon. Now that I understand the method of her madness, I applaud her for it.

 

[BostonBay]

Traveling to deep in the heart of Covid country in the middle of winter. UConn knows no fear!

 

[Bigboote]

It's one thing to play, it's another to be any good at it.

Apples and oranges. Have you ever seen Smith and Egbo draw a tandem bicycle?

 

[JonathanXIV]

Soxfan, I gave you a like, and agree with you 1000%. However, in fairness, I must share two observations here.
1. Most of the low/mid-major programs Kim schedules receive a "cash" stipend for playing them. Most of those schools can really use the money, as their entire athletic program does not generate nearly enough revenue to balance their books at the end of the athletic school year. Some of theses schools are HBCU's. You could say Kim is giving back to the smaller programs that really need the $$$, and are glad to go on a road trip to Waco to get it. For many of these programs, the Farrell Center is the largest arena they will play in all year, and the largest crowd they will play in front of all year. Those programs see it as a win-win. It's the same when UConn plays exhibition games against Division 2/3/NAIA programs to begin the season. I had that same mind-set until a poster set me straight. Now, I'm cool with their preseason schedule.

2. Kim has been playing this type of "soft" schedule for years. It HAS NOT hurt her program yet come March when the tournament selection committee chooses the seeds. If Baylor handles their business during the regular season, they get a 1 seed, just like they did two years ago when they won it all. So I don't look for her to change her M.O. any time soon. Now that I understand the method of her madness, I applaud her for it.

Understanding why she pads her schedule with teams that have no business playing Baylor, and applauding it, are two different things. I understand why she does. I definitely don’t applaud it.

 

[skilz]

Soxfan, I gave you a like, and agree with you 1000%. However, in fairness, I must share two observations here.
1. Most of the low/mid-major programs Kim schedules receive a "cash" stipend for playing them. Most of those schools can really use the money, as their entire athletic program does not generate nearly enough revenue to balance their books at the end of the athletic school year. Some of theses schools are HBCU's. You could say Kim is giving back to the smaller programs that really need the $$$, and are glad to go on a road trip to Waco to get it. For many of these programs, the Farrell Center is the largest arena they will play in all year, and the largest crowd they will play in front of all year. Those programs see it as a win-win. It's the same when UConn plays exhibition games against Division 2/3/NAIA programs to begin the season. I had that same mind-set until a poster set me straight. Now, I'm cool with their preseason schedule.

2. Kim has been playing this type of "soft" schedule for years. It HAS NOT hurt her program yet come March when the tournament selection committee chooses the seeds. If Baylor handles their business during the regular season, they get a 1 seed, just like they did two years ago when they won it all. So I don't look for her to change her M.O. any time soon. Now that I understand the method of her madness, I applaud her for it.

Kim also had Oregon scheduled for this year, however, Pac12 cancelled.

 

[soxfan23]

Kim also had Oregon scheduled for this year, however, Pac12 cancelled.

UConn had games cancelled as well, but Auriemma chose to add Louisville instead of Northwestern Oshkosh Poly-tech Institute.

 

[Carnac]

Understanding why she pads her schedule with teams that have no business playing Baylor, and applauding it, are two different things. I understand why she does. I definitely don’t applaud it.

Jonathan, I appreciate your posture on this. Anytime the "little guy" is given a a helping hand, not necessarily in sports, I'm all for it. How one perceives this is based on their perspective, or which end of the dollar/aid you're standing on............................. the giving end, or the receiving end. It's like appreciating someone's plight that's hungry. If you've never been hungry, and not know where your next meal is coming from, you don't really know what real hunger is. I'm not talking about missing a meal or two. I'm talking about not eating for 2-3 days.

I've never been in THAT position, but I've encountered people that have. The college I attended was a small university that needed any additional source of revenue it could get. We played in gyms, not arenas. A crowd of 800 was huge to us. None of our games were ever televised, but we were happy to be in college, getting a free education, and being able to play ball. Life was a lot simpler back then.

There were things other basketball teams had and enjoyed that we did not because we could not afford it. If you've never been on that end of a stipend check, you can't understand. This was back in the early 70's. There were things that teams take for granted now that we didn't have. Here's one example: We did not have an athletic trainer the entire time I was there. They have two now. The athletic department could not afford one.

If you had an injury, you saw the school doctor the next day in the infirmary. We never had a medical person travel with us on road games either. Whenever I got taped up, one of the two coaches did it. Yes, 2 coaches. Not 4-5 coaches like many programs have today. Coaches don't do tape jobs now-a-days. My school was on the receiving end of those stipends. There are programs today that can use any additional revenue they can get. They don't have multi-million dollar athletic budgets. Back then, we did not have any women's teams. They have several today.

Things are better now at my Alma Mater. Back then, all we had were the basics. We went to all of our road games by car, but buses, not airplanes. We knew what we were signing up for when we were offered. If you're not an elite top 50 prospect, you take what you can get. If you didn't/can't walk a mile in my shoes, you can't understand my point of view. I marvel now at the things today's athletes have and the luxuries they are provided with. Things have really changed in the last 50 years, but I'm not bitter. I'm still very thankful for the opportunity I was given to get a college education, because my folks could not afford to send me or my brother to college. We both have our degree, he has a masters from USC. Another reason I like Troy.

 

[JonathanXIV]

Jonathan, I appreciate your posture on this. Anytime the "little guy" is given a a helping hand, not necessarily in sports, I'm all for it. How one perceives this is based on their perspective, or which end of the dollar/aid you're standing on, the giving end, or the receiving end. The college I attended was a small university that needed any additional source of revenue it could get.

There were things other basketball teams had and enjoyed that we did not because we could not afford it. If you've never been on that end of a stipend check, you can't understand. This was back in the early 70's. There were things that teams take for granted now that we didn't have. Here's one example: We did not have an athletic trainer the entire time I was there. They have two now. The athletic department could not afford one.

If you had an injury, you saw the school doctor the next day in the infirmary. We never had a medical person travel with us on road games either. Whenever I got taped up, one of the two coaches did it. Yes, 2 coaches. Not 4-5 coaches like many programs have today. Coaches don't do tape jobs now-a-days. My school was on the receiving end of those stipends. There are programs today that can use any additional revenue they can get. Back then, we did not have any women's teams. They have several today.

Things are better now at my Alma Mater. Back then, all we had were the basics. If you didn't/can't walk a mile in my shoes, you can't understand my point of view. I marvel now at the things today's athletes have and the luxuries they are provided with.

Let's not kid ourselves. Baylor is not doing this to give anyone a helping hand. They are playing schools with 300+ RPIs to pad their schedule. She does this for the same reason she tries to avoid scheduling UConn when they might have the advantage. This is about what's good for Kim and her team. Any "benefit" to anyone else is incidental.

 

[Carnac]

Let's not kid ourselves. Baylor is not doing this to give anyone a helping hand. They are playing schools with 300+ RPIs to pad their schedule. She does this for the same reason she tries to avoid scheduling UConn when they might have the advantage. This is about what's good for Kim and her team. Any "benefit" to anyone else is incidental.

OK. No one is kidding here. We realize what she's doing. She's very up front about it. She's killing two birds with one stone. We can criticize her all we want to. Whether we like it or approve of it or not, soft OOC schedules work for her program. Like I said, playing a "soft" schedule has yet to cost her come March. So until it does, don't expect her to change her philosophy or mode of operation. She and Baylor Nation could care less about any opposing fan or media criticism they may get. Especially from us. Your point is well taken here. I understand your point of view.

Baylor is still a tough-as-nails team to play in the tournament, and lately has received a 1 seed. They usually make the elite eight every year. That soft schedule hasn't hurt them yet. My biggest concern is what UConn is doing.
I really don't care what Kim does or is doing. Nothing would please me more than to give them back the loss they gave us last year. That's MY focus. Beat Baylor. I can only imagine how much they enjoyed and relished that win over UConn on UConn's home floor last year. I hope we see them in the final four, and send them home.