UCONN/ND prediction: poetry in motion

[jsloanjr]

I like UCONN's chances on Sat...........

 

[RockyMTblue2]

In the last ten match ups, Notre Dame has shot more free throws in 6 of the games, UCONN in 4.

Going into the game, you could argue Stanford didn't have anyone in the conversation for national honors, so I don't think that argument carries much merit. And Turner has been fantastic, she's a major threat for NFOY and All-American honors.

This match up is interesting, Notre Dame hasn't lost at home in 2 years and they have a very talented roster. Lindsey Allen is much more aggressive this year and has been outstanding their 2 games against ranked opponents. Reimer looks more mobile this year and should provide a bigger presence in the post than she did in last year's title game. Mabrey is streaky, but when she is on, she's one of the best shooters in the nation. Then you have the x-factors for Notre Dame in Loyd and Turner. Loyd hasn't played well in the past against UCONN. She'll need to have a monster night for Notre Dame to have a chance. Turner is the real xfactor though. She's the best match up Notre Dame has for Stewart and has the length and athleticism to be disruptive. Will she be healthy to play? I don't know if anything has been reported. On the flip side, she has been very good offensively, but hasn't faced any strong posts yet. Skill wise she still looks a bit raw, I wouldn't be surprised for her to be a taller, more athletic Ogwumike type where she has a strong freshman campaign as an athletic forward but blossoms into an All American as a sophomore.

UCONN will be tested. Their lack of composure late against Stanford was evident, and this will be a similar environment. They'll need a leader to step up when Notre Dame makes their run/runs. They'll need Stewart and or KML to have a huge night. Tuck needs to take smart shots, and Jefferson has to be aggressive offensively. I could see this game going one of two ways--I think if it's close, Notre Dame wins it. If the margin is 10+, UCONN will roll.

Foul - Hedging is not permitted!!! On the other hand, cluelessness is permitted. On this game I am clueless, in part because I think we have quite a way to go to achieve UConn defensive prowess. We have great offensive skill if we do not rush. That's all I've got.

 

[Geno-ista]

sawxfan23 and HoopFans21 - - - Having watched UCONN practice many times over the years and listening to ex-players talk about practices I can't believe that the players are unprepared for games! I think as all players are human some do not react exactly as coached in time of stress! Were you really surprised that Kiah Stokes froze and through the ball backwards to KML with only seconds left in the Stanford game?
As Tonyc said in his post above these are 2 different teams than the ones that have played the last several years. Where ND had Diggins, McBride, Achonwa, Loyd, Novosel, etal, they now only have Loyd as a superstar player! While UCONN has offensively gifted- KML, Stewart, Tuck, MoJeff, Nurse, and Chong (just offensively)! With Stokes dominating defensively with rebounds & blocked shots the 2 teams is like comparing an Uzi vs a derringer or comparing Mr. Ed to Secreteriat!

Brilliant!!!! Win is right! Funny !

 

[chrissaran]

UConn 85-82.

 

[semper]

I just don't know...really. I'll say ND by 2 in OT. Just a gut feeling that the freshmen may be thrown by the atmosphere. GO UCONN. Prove me wrong. You can do it!

 

[reno tony]

87 - 80

 

[HoopsFan21]

I just don't know...really. I'll say ND by 2 in OT. Just a gut feeling that the freshmen may be thrown by the atmosphere. GO UCONN. Prove me wrong. You can do it!

What freshmen? 4 of the 5 starters are juniors and seniors and have all played here before. The lone freshman is on the Canadian national team, and as CD says, she does not consider her a freshman. If you're talking the bench, the first two off of it will be a senior and a sophomore.

 

[Superhuskies]

84-83, OT...........

 

[Shenandoah]

You don't ask for much, do you ? She won't be on the floor enough to get that kind of stat line.

6 points 18 rebounds 4 blocks...THE difference maker in this game. When Kiah came in the game, it totally turned the game around. It also freed Morgan up to be more aggressive offensively.

 

[RadyLady]

I gotta say...reading these threads post game is entertaining, enlightening and...ran out of applicable words commencing with the letter 'e'...maybe enigmatic...but that's a stretch.

We didn't need bravado
We didn't need negative waves
We didn't even need bad poetry written in a derogatory manner.

We needed
Tuck
Nurse
And Stokes - who by some accounts wouldn't even see many minutes on the floor.

Folks have bad games....when you are putting together a new team with some major pieces lost to graduation, it takes a little time for all the parts to start working together.

But when it works, baby it's beautiful. And even if other players have tough games...they are not bad players, it's just not their night. They will have their nights down the road. UConn is a team, and there is no I in team. Folks will step up, and the team will get it done.

Congratulations UConn. Great, great win!

 

[rvwsleep]

I gotta say...reading these threads post game is entertaining, enlightening and...ran out of applicable words commencing with the letter 'e'...maybe enigmatic...but that's a stretch.

We didn't need bravado
We didn't need negative waves
We didn't even need bad poetry written in a derogatory manner.

We needed
Tuck
Nurse
And Stokes - who by some accounts wouldn't even see many minutes on the floor.

Folks have bad games....when you are putting together a new team with some major pieces lost to graduation, it takes a little time for all the parts to start working together.

But when it works, baby it's beautiful. And even if other players have tough games...they are not bad players, it's just not their night. They will have their nights down the road. UConn is a team, and there is no I in team. Folks will step up, and the team will get it done.

Congratulations UConn. Great, great win!

Totally agree. However, I will say that I'm starting to get just a little concerned about Jefferson's offense. Though, based on today's game, it might not make a difference.

 

[RadyLady]

Totally agree. However, I will say that I'm starting to get just a little concerned about Jefferson's offense. Though, based on today's game, it might not make a difference.

She has sank (sunk?) a few threes and zoomed in for a few deuces in earlier games this year. This game, they may have marked her. I wouldn't worry about it. She has proven to me that she is worthy of the praise and accolades she received in past years. She will be fine. I am sure that there is no one more disappointed in her game today than herself.

 

[Buzzyboy]

UCONN is one of, if not the best prepared teams over a two decade period. That said, I believe that no amount of 'down 2, 30 seconds left' type drills prepares for reality when the players are rarely in that position in real-time. It comes down to mental toughness (DT comes to mind immediately) to be able to not be distracted by the thought of losing and just do your job. Distracted, fearful players do not perform as they are capable of doing, and while sports psych work can help individual players, some of us have more fear of failure, which often becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.

All I can say is that no amount of preparation can automatically determine how a person will perform in a harrowing environment or circumstance until that situation actually occurs. There are many people thrown into a horrific wartime environment who've had prior intense training and yet have frozen or been able to perform while others have somehow shown themselves to excel at and even exceed expectations in very similar settings. You can coach or train someone to death and yet not actually know what that person will do until the chips are down and then you find that the Diana's and Maya's and Sue's rise to the moment while others may fall short. That's not to say that some who have initially fallen short can't inevitably rise from the ashes and eventually flourish.

 

[Buzzyboy]

They're unprepared. That falls on the coaching staff.

I really love the way that you and others make these presumptions. You act like Geno and the coaching staff did their job when Maya and Diana and Sue and others in those last minute and intensive situations excelled and performed wonderfully but then got lazy or became incompetent, allowing multiple players to "choke" or lose their cool in the waning moments of the Stanford loss. That sounds like a bunch of c**p to me because you just don't know how a person will respond in a given situation until after the fact. I can assure you that if you trace Diana's ENTIRE career with a fine tooth comb, you can find a moment or moments where she made a horrific play, a bonehead play, that contributed to a loss or changed the momentum of an important game but obviously those type of plays were few and far between. The same holds true with Sue and others but they are dwarfed by the many, many exceptional decisions, plays, etc. that contribute to their wonderful resumes. No one is flawless and surely, their coaches are rarely, if ever responsible for these occasional shortcomings. Life is typically not that BLACK and WHITE!