Uconn South Carolina Series Over

[oldude]

For some context, I went back to look at UConn’s schedule during the 2012-13 season when very arguably the BE was the toughest WBB conference in the nation. The BE placed 3 teams in the FF: Louisville, ND & UConn. UConn played ND four times, losing the first 3 in tough, close battles, before turning the tables in the national semifinal.

So who was on UConn’s OOC schedule that season? A couple of mismatches to be sure. But mostly, UConn played a bunch of solid P5 schools like Purdue, PSU, Oregon, TX A&M, Wake Forest, as well as 3 perennial powerhouse schools: Stanford, MD & #1 ranked Baylor in Lubbock, TX, in February, during the middle of the BE regular season.

The Huskies lost another tough battle to the Bears in Waco and then again to ND in the BE tournament championship. But with Stewie leading the way, the Huskies ran the table in March when it counted most.

That was a great year for WBB with many Big Games on national tv. That UConn team was, at least until this past season, my favorite because of the challenges the Huskies faced in order to win it all.

 

[WiseWillie]

South Carolina plays in the SEC. It's a loaded conference for WCBB. Playing us doesn't gain anything. Win the SEC regular season or tourney and you automatically get a #1 seed. What does South Carolina get out of playing UConn?

What does SC get out of playing UConn? Let's count the ways:

1. Game improvement: Matches against an evenly matched opponent helps elevate the game overall.

2. Varied Competition: Playing outside your conference against another evenly matched team provides a different offensive and defensive perspective that can be an extremely valuable learning tool for skill development particularly in young players

3. Increased Fan Engagement: SC and UConn contests provide the fans, you know the ones who fill the seats and buy all the sports paraphernalia , much excitement and interest in the game of WCB overall.

4. National Viewership: The SC-UConn game is and without doubt will be a nationally televised game giving both schools and their programs a huge national audience and much more attention than they receive playing within their respective conferences.

5. Ranking: Competing against other top teams outside of your conference helps establish rankings. Playing in the SEC provides a better ranking than playing in the BE. True. But what happens if SC doesn't win the SEC or (oh, no!) comes in down the line at #3 or worse? What happened to that #1 seed?

There's probably more but you get the idea. It's really too bad that a game pitting the two top programs was cancelled. There are many advantages for both and while there may be some disadvantages the plusses outweigh the minuses.

 

[visitingcock]

First of all, I cannot recall an instance where Geno has ever turned down playing a ranked team. You can make any excuse you want for South Carolina ending the series but it comes down to simply, they don't want to lose a game.

And you know for certain that Dawn pulled the plug on the series?

A month ago a Connecticut paper speculated that the series would end based upon UConn having fewer slots due to the Big East adding two more conference games and the renews of the Tennessee series. The SEC added two more games to SCar’s Spring conference schedule last year.

No, you don’t know who “pulled the plug.” In fact, neither may have pulled it. It just may be that neither was overly interested in renewing - given their present and near future scheduling needs.

I think there’s a good chance we meet a few times in April over the next few years.

 

[oldude]

And you know for certain that Dawn pulled the plug on the series?

A month ago a Connecticut paper speculated that the series would end based upon UConn having fewer slots due to the Big East adding two more conference games and the renews of the Tennessee series. The SEC added two more games to SCar’s Spring conference schedule last year.

No, you don’t know who “pulled the plug.” In fact, neither may have pulled it. It just may be that neither was overly interested in renewing - given their present and near future scheduling needs.

I think there’s a good chance we meet a few times in April over the next few years.

Because of relative conference strength, or lack there of, it is fair to suggest that UConn has a much greater interest in keeping this game going than SC. Beyond that, we don’t know the specific discussion that may have taken place about renewing the series, or the reasons for ending it.

 

[WiseWillie]

What teams can UConn play OOC that would match the SC-UConn matchup?

The team would have to be one that would draw similar national attention. IMO, a USC-UConn or UCLA-UConn would easily fit well because both teams are well coached and have attracted lately AA's that people want to watch. Plus it hits the "west coast vs east coast" vibe that would draw a national audience. OK, let's hear the other options.

 

[my2cents]

So answer me this. Did you find UConn’s run through the Big Dance this season where they effectively gob-smacked a number of the “top teams in the nation” equally unenjoyable?

Sometimes I feel bad for the other teams when watching a UConn beat down on them. Like watching the Battle of Little Bighorn. However, what I really enjoy is watching the UConn players playing up to their abilities and executing Geno's brilliant game plans.

 

[Cuango]

Take another look at your statement. You can speculate all you want about what YOU think would happen over the next 3 years. But here you're speculating about what SHE thinks and trying to tell us that Staley is afraid of losing games to UConn, that her ego is involved, and that she's running away from continuing the series. And that's ridiculous and presumptuous since you have no idea what she thinks about anything.

And yet, that’s what I think! Interesting you use the word “presumptuous”? I’m thinking the “presumption” is you deciding what I can opine about. As I said, believe what you want. I’ll do the same.

 

[MooseJaw]

I appreciate you trying to "promote" your straw man argument in sticking up for the Big East teams, but every statistical assessment on the conference contradicts your assertions, including our coach who has been extra vigilant in getting better teams from the P4 to play UConn.

To wit:

• Every year since 2012-13 (last year of the old Big East), the conference UConn has been in has been ranked 6th or lower and this year with the P4, it was a distant 5th.
• Offensively speaking, only DePaul ever ranked in the top 20 during this time.
• Defensively, only Marquette in 2023 and St John's 2023 ranked in the top 40.
• From a recruiting perspective, the other Big East or American schools when UConn was in the conference only signed 9 players from the TOP 100 HG ranking (2013 to 2024) in the 12 years since the old Big East broke up. Which means no top player went to the competition.
• Since that 2013-14 season, the NCAAT conference bids were 2,3,2,3,2,2,2,3,5,3,2 for a total of 27 bids in 11 years. This proves that the committee selecting does not value the opponents.

You can "claim" all you want but again, no evidence supports this. I am not here to "dump" on the Big East but merely note the competition is not elite and really does not prepare us as you claim.

No the conference may not be elite, but your statement "The competition is not elite and really does not prepare us as you claim". Yes it does prepare the Huskies, perhaps not the way you want, but the results are obvious. As I see it. 1. Geno pushes, prods, molds the players in the direction he feels best fits his team. Then a game in conference, time to see the results. Not what he thinks will work after the game, back to remolding, back to the next game, repeat, over and over. Results, a fine-tuned team, playing what many coaches, media and us fans call beautiful basketball.
My question now is, how does a team in such a below average conference year in and year out rank and play as well or better than the teams in the biggie conferences? I know, getting the best players helps, it just doesn't guarantee squat when the games starts. One thing is clear, it works for Geno, would it work for another coach or team? I don't give a hoot; it works for our Huskies, that's all that matters.

 

[HuskyNan]

Why is this discussion becoming so heated? Please settle down, folks

 

[Zinethar]

What women's college basketball needs to do is create a super conference like football is doing by selecting only top 16 schools to fill it out. Then no one could claim that their conference helped/held them back from making the tourney. The down side of course is that half of those teams would wind up with losing records and not make the tourney. Be careful what you wish for. I happen to live near Syracuse and how did their move to the ACC work out for their men's basketball team.

PS - This suggestion was made tongue in cheek

 

[visitingcock]

Why is this discussion becoming so heated? Please settle down, folks

I'm not heated. I don't know enough to be heated. Neither I, nor anyone else, has asserted or implied that Geno pulled the plug through cowardice while . . .. It would take two sides arguing to generate heat. Merely pointing out that the reason for termination of this series is unknown - and may never be known. Speculation is fine - as long as the speculation is not presumed to be fact.

I am going to miss the series pretty badly. I feel a wintertime void coming on.

And I know when to exit a thread.