UConn Positioned PERFECTLY for Sunday!

[Jokerman619]

Nice post! Personally, I am weary of reading that the UCONN team is "tired." These are young athletic women, not 90 year old ladies trying to go up a flight of stairs.
I think some fans are trying to pile up excuses we can use if South Carolina wins.
To use Geno's frequent quote: "It is what it is!" So, play the game with players which we have. If I had to wager on the game, I would put SC on top, but I'm not going to wager----I am going to root for the underdog Huskies!

Agreed. They are athletes.

 

[HuskyNan]

Nice post! Personally, I am weary of reading that the UCONN team is "tired." These are young athletic women, not 90 year old ladies trying to go up a flight of stairs.
I think some fans are trying to pile up excuses we can use if South Carolina wins.
To use Geno's frequent quote: "It is what it is!" So, play the game with players which we have. If I had to wager on the game, I would put SC on top, but I'm not going to wager----I am going to root for the underdog Huskies!

 

[Carnac]

BYers aren't used to being underdogs. Some of these threads are off IMO. "UConn at it's lowest point of the season". "Rest don't Practice". Non-stop reports on the injured players.
Come on folks: 14 straight wins, a low point?, The way I see it, this is the team, until otherwise. I teach in Bush Alaska, and my principal would say, "we don't have a teacher in that slot until I see that
teacher get off the plane".
Enjoy this team! This team is overachieving, which is truly the pinnacle of success, reaching one's potential.
I've watched enough Geno and player interviews to know that any team at UConn's first goal is to win the conference championship. They took a huge step in that direction Sunday. IMO that was the
biggest game of the season thus far. A "trap game"? No, No. That was the game, and UConn gutted it out.
Truly, what does UConn have to lose Sunday? Everyone knows the team is depleted, (IMO overblown, UConn has a TEAM with players playing as well as they ever have) so SC will be significantly favored. Pressure on UConn? I don't see it. The team should be loose.
Geno knows every possible situation a team can encounter. I guarantee that he will have the young women relaxed. SC has the pressure. They will believe that they're facing a wounded team. But they're
not. The Huskies will be lurking, snarling.
Poker player: We can't play it "close to the vest". (Did Geno last year in the final, with a limited PB?) Their cards may be better at this moment, but the best cards don't necessarily win. UConn has advantages on the floor. UConn's guards are better and UConn's wings are better. And SC has no answer for an inspired AE. So, IMO UConn has to dominate that part of the floor. By so doing, their bigs have to come further out, negating their advantage inside. Pressure the ball, deny the wings, and front the posts. Gunna give up some layups but the game will be played in the entire half court, not just inside the 3-point line. Open up UConn's running game. Tired, smired! No such thing as tired on Sunday! This is why you came to UConn! Live for it!
Chisel in stone that #1 seed for UConn. Let the others fight for that 4th spot. Gunna change 10X before March.
Nika's ready for this big moment! AG too. The tentativeness on offense for her is gone! Lou is big-game! Bigs- play hard! AE, they don't have a matchup for you! Go Huskies! Snarl!

When I first looked at this post, I noticed it had 29 likes. I figured it must be a good one. It is. You mentioned some interesting dynamics here. I think you're right and join in your thinking that UConn is beat up (everybody knows that) and has nothing to lose. They can afford to play fast and loose. Enjoyed reading your comments. Happy to make it 30 likes.

 

[pacific 44]

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor

Not a history major? Everyone knows that the terrible turks bombed us at Pearl Harbor. Hence the "terrible" was added to their name.

 

[fomalhaut]

Massey still has this with Connecticut only a 2-point underdog at 46%.

 

[Next 12]

I don't remember which game, Husky had some OUTSTANDING 2nd quarter this season. Don't worry about Sunday, Husky squad has been anticipating for this game since day 1(one) of this season. they will have SC taste the first defeat come Sunday ! ! GO HUSKIES ! ! !

That's the way to go, think positive. Uconn has one incentive going for them and that's the WILL to win, especially against SC, who are in the spot Uconn is usually in and Uconn wants to vacate SC from their spot. Over the last 25 years , nobody has won more League titles, more NC's and more games in the NC. GO HUSKIES!!!!

 

[PacoSwede]

i am quite sure that gamecock fans, and their team, are at least as worried as the good guys are.

 

[msf22b]

MD 12's scenario is possible...
Who can anticipate the future or divine the accomplishments of inspired athletes?
Everyone (almost) on this board would welcome a UConn triumph.

But it's unlikely, a long shot at best
Our best athletes are beaten up...and teams have learned how to (semi) neutralize them. We need Lou's scoring...but she's getting a tough lesson of how she will be defended for the rest of her career and as of yet, hasn't figured out a response.

In a recent game SC used 13 players; 12 played at least 10 minutes.
That is a huge advantage as we are essentially playing 5.

I don't believe that the"underdog," loosey-goosey argument is germane...
Be physical and take UConn off its game seems much more realistic.
And oh yes...their winning streak is 21 (this season), even better than ours.

What's not to love about her heroic group?
But come Sunday, they are seriously outgunned.

 

[Topdawg]

Kentucky has been playing South Carolina better than I had expected. Their record is 10-11. South Carolina has faced three seeded teams this season. They beat Maryland by 25, UCLA by 9, and Stanford by 5. Those games were in November. So Uconn is going to be a lot tougher than teams they have faced in the last two months. Anything can happen! That is why you play the game.

 

[Bone Dog]

Hahaha! Classic BY thread — someone makes a great joke, and half of the thread is devoted to failing to get the reference or explaining it. All that remains is to figure out which player is Bluto on this team. My money is on Nika.

And of course it’s true that the pressure is on SC, not UConn. This doesn’t mean we’ll win. But it means the girls are free to enjoy playing a tough game. Lou in particular ought to enjoy it.

 

[Skeets]

Not a history major? Everyone knows that the terrible turks bombed us at Pearl Harbor. Hence the "terrible" was added to their name.

The French, Croats, Hungarians and Canadians are going to bomb SC.

 

[sno-cat]

All this talk about UConn being tired is working out perfectly. SC will relax and not take us seriously. This tactic will enable us to win. Go UConn.

 

[jcoton56]

Yup we got em right where we want em

 

[OldSchooler]

You have to love 'em. It looked like Geno was trying to suppress tears of pride as Nika was speaking at the post-game presser.

 

[socal613ws]

All this talk about UConn being tired is working out perfectly. SC will relax and not take us seriously. This tactic will enable us to win. Go UConn.

you really think a Dawn Staley coached team is gonna take someone not serious, especially Uconn? Oh dear

 

[MD#12Fan]

you really think a Dawn Staley coached team is gonna take someone not serious, especially Uconn? Oh dear

I think it's a very subtle effect. Imperceptible. We're all human beings, not autonomons.
They have been dominating the series, especially last April. Everyone (because it's talked about endlessly) is aware of the challenges of UConn this year. Who would SC most be pumped to play, LSU or UConn in the beginning of February?
It's also a feeling the players have about the competitors. Literally a feeling. A physical feeling the players get on the court. Hard to explain. When someone makes you feel uncomfortable. Bigger, stronger? Like the feeling you get playing a really difficult hole in golf. The challenge feels good, but .....

 

[Rowdy831]

UCONN is one of the few teams in the country that can match talent with SC regardless of who is on the floor. The issue to me will be their ability to have the same energy late in the game when tired is going against rested. I really think AE will need to have a big night and also be able to defend Boston. Dorka will work hard but simply isn't strong enough to deal with Boston and she will foul. They definitely need her on the floor to win.

 

[HuskyinWRNY]

Hookshot: It was Japan who bombed Pearl Harbor, not Germany.

Animal House, John Belushi

 

[cgshuskie]

?

 

[itsasport]

If Amari can put in some good minutes on defense and the starters can put in a good percentage of 3s, then UConn could win.

Amari has a very effective stand-tall vertical arms defense, and could reduce the fouls on the starters.

The starters, when tired lose the lead anyway, so why not give the bench a chance to shine and also gain some experience against a tough opponent,

 

[Alydar]

you really think a Dawn Staley coached team is gonna take someone not serious, especially Uconn? Oh dear

I have nothing but respect for Staley. But a loss on Sunday isn't so bad. It takes off all the pressure of going into the NCAA's undefeated. UConn fans have gone through that several times. The endless interviews reminding them that they haven't lost yet. SCar doesn't appear as hungry as last year, which is usual after winning one. There's a reason only 2 programs have won back-to-back titles in this century. In a way SCar reminds me of the 2023 Baylor team, coming off a dominant title win and undefeated.

 

[Forego]

All this talk about UConn being tired is working out perfectly. SC will relax and not take us seriously. This tactic will enable us to win. Go UConn.

What you said plus South Carolina has got to be looking ahead to their next game which is against Auburn 13-8 (3-6), whom they beat by 52 points last month.