UConn pursuing future games with Notre Dame

[Fightin Choke]

In his blog, Carl Adamec reported on Sept 7th that UConn is reaching out to Notre Dame to renew the rivalry. LINK

“I actually met with Geno this week and I’ll be reaching out to Notre Dame,” Corum said. “We had some conversations early on when it was first announced that Notre Dame was leaving (for the ACC). But a lot has changed since then. Notre Dame called. They were interested in playing us this year but our schedule was full. From that we’re assuming that Notre Dame would be interested in playing us so we’re going to be reaching out to them in the next week or so to see if we can get them on our schedule.”

 

[RockyMTblue2]

It would be a good thing. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I know we all got sort of burned out on ND games last couple of years, but they offer consistent high level competition.

 

[semper]

This is great news for those of us who live in Indianer.

 

[AllHusky529]

I love it! To be the best you need to compete with the best. Let's face it, our conference play will not offer the kind of tournament competition we need to stay sharp. Id like to see our OOC schedule be everyone out of the top of 15 in the nation. Go Huskies!

 

[HuskyNan]

It would be a good thing. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I know we all got sort of burned out on ND games last couple of years, but they offer consistent high level competition.

Muffet and Geno are very good, long time friends from their days in Philly. Those two, Harry Perretta, Jim Foster and Phil Martelli....

 

[UCONNfan1]

Plus, let's be honest. Now that Baylor has lost Griner, who's the next best team consistently and one that actually has beaten UCONN? I'm actually not a fan of Duke, don't hate them but don't root for them, but they seem like while they have a great amalgamation of talent, they aren't exactly living up to expectations when it comes to performance. Stanford - well, they will soon be the 2nd or 3rd best team in their own conference. Tennessee? Not in the near future unless they nab Wilson, Samuelson and Durr. Maryland? Kentucky? Louisville? Not quite. Tex AM is done for now. OSU is up and coming. Did I leave anyone out?

But ND is already right there. A rival who has beaten UCONN a bunch of times in the last 3 years. And they continue to recruit really well. Their 2011 class was not great, but 2010 had McBride. 2012 had Loyd. 2013 has top 5 kid Reimer. 2014 has top 2-3 kid Turner. And Achonwa is part of McBride's class. She's an elite forward/center in my book.

So my point is the current and next great rivalry seems to be shaping up between UCONN and Notre Dame - 2 teams who could easily be 1-2 over the next 3-4 years.

 

[UcMiami]

I am glad this will get added back, but the current competitive ND has only been around for about 3 years, not dissimilar to the last version circa 2000/1 so I will wait for a few years to see if they truly do maintain their top billing. And I am not quite ready to drop Stanford from their perch atop the Pac10 - other teams are looking up, but they have not yet arrived let alone stuck around for more than a season or two.

 

[rjp172]

From a ND perspective its great news. It wasn't until ND beat UConn that they ascended to the next level the past few years. That first win changed the mental landscape of the players and the coaches. Now they feel they belong in the discussion and they play that way. The past 3 years of ND's F4 appearances have UConn to thank in my opinion. As much of the former BE has to thank UConn for their success in general. Playing the best should make you better.

 

[Fightin Choke]

I am glad this will get added back, but the current competitive ND has only been around for about 3 years, not dissimilar to the last version circa 2000/1 so I will wait for a few years to see if they truly do maintain their top billing. And I am not quite ready to drop Stanford from their perch atop the Pac10 - other teams are looking up, but they have not yet arrived let alone stuck around for more than a season or two.

You're correct in that the last time Muffet had a team that made the NC game, Notre Dame quickly faded back into the pack. But that's because Muffet was unable to translate her advantage on the court into an advantage in recruiting. But this time Notre Dame peaked longer (3 FF in a row) and she is recruiting better than she ever has. Those FF's have delivered Muffet the classes of 2012 (Jewell Loyd, Michaela Mabrey and Hannah Huffman), 2013 (Taya Reimer, Lindsay Allen, Kristina Nelson and Diamond Thompson), and 2014 (Brianna Turner, Mychal Johnson, and ???) While the Huskies are used to getting top 5 recruits, this is rarified air for Notre Dame. In the 10 years before this recent run of final fours, the only top 5 recruit for Notre Dame was Skylar Diggins, but Muffet has signed/recruited one top 5 player per class the past 3 years, creating a nucleus of talent for the future. Thus there is reason to expect Muffet's success to continue.

 

[CaliHuskyFan]

I think Muffet is a great coach, but I believe part of their recruiting successes since Skylar have a lot to do with Niele Ivey. I used to be a fan of Niele when I lived in Scottsdale and she was playing for the Phoenix Mercury. But now with the recruiting successes of Notre Dame I am less enamored. Having said that I certainly hope we play Notre Dame many times in the future.

 

[Wbbfan1]

If I'm a school looking for a Head Coach, I look at Niele Ivey. IMHO she's the reason why ND is having so much success in recruiting and why their guard play has improved.

 

[Kibitzer]

Among the reasons this rivalry should -- and most certainly willl -- be renewed is that both ND and UConn have a national fan base. In the ND case, it can be attributed to their football heritage and their "subway alumni" spread over every diocese in America. Like them or not (I don't), they are ubiquitous, enthusiastic and IMO obnoxious.

UConn's national fan base has nothing to do with football but everything to do with its incomparable women's basketball team. While ND had Knute Rockne and The Gipper (we'll skip Teo), UConn has Geno and all the glory he represents.

It now seems inevitable that they will play again. When they do, millions of TV sets will be ON, the game(s) will be competitive, and I will enjoy watching UConn open yet another large can of whoop-ass to re-assert its dominance in wcbb.

Of course, I will behave like all UConn fans, wildly enthusiastic but unfailingly polite.

 

[UcMiami]

You're correct in that the last time Muffet had a team that made the NC game, Notre Dame quickly faded back into the pack. But that's because Muffet was unable to translate her advantage on the court into an advantage in recruiting. But this time Notre Dame peaked longer (3 FF in a row) and she is recruiting better than she ever has. Those FF's have delivered Muffet the classes of 2012 (Jewell Loyd, Michaela Mabrey and Hannah Huffman), 2013 (Taya Reimer, Lindsay Allen, Kristina Nelson and Diamond Thompson), and 2014 (Brianna Turner, Mychal Johnson, and ???) While the Huskies are used to getting top 5 recruits, this is rarified air for Notre Dame. In the 10 years before this recent run of final fours, the only top 5 recruit for Notre Dame was Skylar Diggins, but Muffet has signed/recruited one top 5 player per class the past 3 years, creating a nucleus of talent for the future. Thus there is reason to expect Muffet's success to continue.

I agree about the recruiting, but ... I do think it takes more than recruiting top 5 players and with WCBB teams I do like seeing what happens after a four year cycle - the trick is to sustain after the group that got you there have all left. For example some people in this thread are beginning to write off Stanford after five final fours, though they continue to get some very strong recruits.

 

[Stray Cat]

If I'm a school looking for a Head Coach, I look at Niele Ivey. IMHO she's the reason why ND is having so much success in recruiting and why their guard play has improved.

People said the same thing about Kevin McGuff after he left ND to become a head coach. There is no doubt Ivey contributes in many ways to the ND WBB program on and off the court. IMO, the Irish lost one of the top assistant's in Skylar Diggins -- she was an outstanding vocal leader and leader by example and did so many little things to win games that may have gone unnoticed by many. I still believe the Irish can and will have success without her, but the her contributions to the Irish were monumental and invaluable, which makes it very difficult to say how much the Irish will really miss her. But I'm guessing every time ND loses a close game this season, ND fans will be saying "if we only had Sklyar, we would have pulled this one out".

 

[Kibitzer]

Skylar Diggins . . . did so many little things to win games that may have gone unnoticed by many.

Skylar certainly had a great career at Notre Dame but it's a huge stretch to suggest that anything she did went unnoticed.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Skylar certainly had a great career at Notre Dame but it's a huge stretch to suggest that anything she did went unnoticed.

Okay, let's not exaggerate there. Skylar had a triple double against DePaul back on Feb. 24 that deserved at least five separate threads on the BY, but looking back to those pages, I can't even find one that gave any notice. Clearly she never got enough attention here.

A very good player, and yes a very active promotional machine.

 

[bruinbball]

If I'm a school looking for a Head Coach, I look at Niele Ivey. IMHO she's the reason why ND is having so much success in recruiting and why their guard play has improved.

If I am just looking at coaches...I am looking at Niele Ivey

 

[Stray Cat]

If I am just looking at coaches...I am looking at Niele Ivey

Little known fact...Niele Ivey starred in a popular 80's video (well, at least it looked like her in the opening shot with the gold dress on from the rear view)!

Ode to Niele Ivey

 

[Wonkster]

.
I think it's time to start addressing the unnatural phenomenon of Notre Dame's beginning to catch up to the Huskies, and in the process changing the previous UConn/ND won/loss numbers like 18-2 to whatever it is now.

Time to start a new string of Green Gnome butt-kicking, folks!

 

[DobbsRover2]

.
I think it's time to start addressing the unnatural phenomenon of Notre Dame's beginning to catch up to the Huskies, and in the process changing the previous UConn/ND won/loss numbers like 18-2 to whatever it is now.

Time to start a new string of Green Gnome butt-kicking, folks!

The Huskies are 30-11 against the Irish with a 1-game winning streak in hand, but I'm more concerned about what UConn can do to even its 1-7 record against Southern CT or 1-6 record against against Springfield. May just have to go back in time.

 

[Icebear]

It was clear the series would be renewed all the way back in the spring and that the issues were simply OOC schedules already being locked in. Good to know it is moving forward. At least it will not be a ridiculous 4 times a year.

 

[meyers7]

Little known fact...Niele Ivey starred in a popular 80's video (well, at least it looked like her in the opening shot with the gold dress on from the rear view)!

Ode to Niele Ivey

90's, but it's one of my favorite videos.