Uconn South Carolina Series Over

[boontonbomber]

I will say this to those on the BY that believe games against Big East opponents don’t prepare UConn for the competition the Huskies will face in the Big Dance. This past season, UConn played SC on Feb 16, followed by 7 straight BE games before their 1st game in the BIg Dance over a month later. For the record Ark St was not as good as most BE teams and SD St was probably as good as some of the top BE teams not named UConn.

So how did Geno and his staff possibly prepare the Huskies for a gauntlet that included 4 straight powerhouse programs: OK, USC, UCLA & SC? The fact is that the BE is full of smart basketball coaches and players that run really sophisticated actions that force opponents to be well prepared and execute at both ends of the court.

I commented on that fact after attending the BE tournament at the Mohegan Sun. The truth is that many of UConn’s BE opponents gave them much better games than the 2 teams they faced in the FF.

Do you really think that playing a bunch of big, strong SEC or BIG teams in a series of “ugly wrestling matches” better prepares a team to face a small, quick team that spreads the floor, plays relentless defense, moves the ball and shoots lights out? Clearly that wasnt the case for Cory Close or Dawn Staley this past year.

Geno prepares his team for the Big Dance better than any coach on the planet, and he had more answers to roll out against every opponent he faced. That should be the case again this coming season. While I regret that WBB loses if UConn and SC don’t play, the Huskies will be absolutely fine.

What I find hard as a fan is watching so many yawner Big East games. Perhaps I'm an exception as a fan, as I almost prefer watching a really competitive game which we might even lose, compared to a 30 point win against mid-majors. I love the excitement of tough games, and seeing how the team and coaches handle it.
While watching games during the season the farthest thing from my mind is tourney preparation. I've never quite understood the obsession with that in the Boneyard. I would love to watch a season in a power conference; I'm sure that UConn can handle the more physical game. For sure, fans of those teams are treated to more exciting games.
Oh, and, yes, it looked like playing in the Big East did little to harm UConn's prep for the tourney. But let's keep in mind that they had three #1 high school players in their lineup.

 

[boontonbomber]

I respectfully disagree. The BE has plenty of quick athletic teams. What the BE lacks is size. UCLA was big and slow. While SC had a couple of athletic players like Fulwiley, by and large this was one of the slowest SC teams I can remember in a long time.

There was one particular play that stood out to me. Azzi caught a pass in transition on the left wing where she was defended by Sania Feagin, a 6’3” forward who was named to the All-SEC Defensive 1st team. Azzi didn’t even have to pump fake. She put the ball on the floor and blew by Feagin for a layup as if Feagin was caught in quicksand.

Yes, absolutely right that the Big East lacks size, similar to what is the case with most mid-majors.

 

[Dove]

SHOCKED!!!!!!

No, I'm not.

 

[Dove]

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?

They get a chance to send a message to a big dog.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

You think Geno wouldn't be paying a hefty fine?

He turns around and cuzzes at Chris. She bellows it cross court. Besides, The King cannot be fined!

 

[Plebe]

When the kitchen gets hot, some can't handle the heat.

Wish I could say I'm surprised but I'm not.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Both statements above belie an unexamined mystical archaic presumption that was true during Pat Summit’s early glory days. That the SEC was the top of the heap in WCBB.

As of now, Geno and CD’s little WCBB program in the sleepy town of Storrs who are/were playing in the little bush leagues of the Big East/ AAC have as many titles (12) as the big mystical SEC. Source.

One statement above is a tad patronizing and the other one is cringingly obsequious.

UConn will be fine with the ending of this series as it was fine with the previous ending of the TN series.

I agree with EricLA and Cuango that if it were solely up to Geno, the series will continue at a more mutually convenient time. But for this, and conference affiliation, it is really solely not up to Geno. Nevertheless, Geno and CD are the winningest WCBB coaches of all time.

A lot of people give Mulkey flak for avoiding certain losses in OOC games. At least she is transparent and consistent about it. It is sad to see all those high-minding “we’ll play anybody for the good of the sport” types become Mulkey types when UConn is (perhaps) emerging as “bad for basketball” again.

WCBB as a sport still needs nurturing. OOC games are “meaningless” games (per Geno) for the NCAAT, except for the risk of being seeded a shade lower. Some coaches (e.g. Jeff Waltz) don’t mind the trade-off as it is good for the sport and a learning experience for their players.

It is what it is.

I would like to see Texas as a home & home at Christmas/New Years and Valentine's day as it would be a gift and love to all WBB fans!!!

Go Huskies & "hook 'em horns!"

 

[temery]

You think Geno wouldn't be paying a hefty fine?

Probably not. He'd say it in Italian.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Probably not. He'd say it in Italian.

The problem is that Geno's hand signals would give it away!!!

Go Huskies!!!

 

[oldude]

The problem is that Geno's hand signals would give it away!!!

Go Huskies!!!

Italian hand signs are very complex. I learned from experience. The only person on the court who might understand Geno’s this coming season could be Blanca, fresh off her time with Campobasso.

 

[DefenseBB]

I will say this to those on the BY that believe games against Big East opponents don’t prepare UConn for the competition the Huskies will face in the Big Dance. This past season, UConn played SC on Feb 16, followed by 7 straight BE games before their 1st game in the BIg Dance over a month later. For the record Ark St was not as good as most BE teams and SD St was probably as good as some of the top BE teams not named UConn.

So how did Geno and his staff possibly prepare the Huskies for a gauntlet that included 4 straight powerhouse programs: OK, USC, UCLA & SC? The fact is that the BE is full of smart basketball coaches and players that run really sophisticated actions that force opponents to be well prepared and execute at both ends of the court.

I commented on that fact after attending the BE tournament at the Mohegan Sun. The truth is that many of UConn’s BE opponents gave them much better games than the 2 teams they faced in the FF.

Do you really think that playing a bunch of big, strong SEC or BIG teams in a series of “ugly wrestling matches” better prepares a team to face a small, quick team that spreads the floor, plays relentless defense, moves the ball and shoots lights out? Clearly that wasnt the case for Cory Close or Dawn Staley this past year.

Geno prepares his team for the Big Dance better than any coach on the planet, and he had more answers to roll out against every opponent he faced. That should be the case again this coming season. While I regret that WBB loses if UConn and SC don’t play, the Huskies will be absolutely fine.

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.

 

[Cuango]

You have to space out these heavyweight contests. That’s a bigger hill to climb for SC than us because of conference foes. I’m sure it’s just temporary.

Yeah! Till Geno retires!

 

[uconnever]

I think the UConn schedule looks weaker than usual next year.

Also, I talked to a friend that supports South Carolina. He mentioned that he wanted to cancel the series because he thinks it helps UConn more than it helps South Carolina. South Carolina gives UConn a test late in the year when they are beating up on bad big east teams every week. He thought it didn’t make sense to keep doing this favor for UConn. So, I think the decision to cancel the series has at least some support in the gamecock fan base.

This is what I’ve been thinking. But I’m on the fence, because we were going to beat them anyways but the boost in confidence late helps. But I won’t say never because they are fine but I don’t like how Dawn constructs her teams. She builds it perfectly ALMOST! But never has too many good shooters. Until that changes. They won’t beat us anyways. Not set in stone, but they don’t scare me for that reason. Imagine her teams with at least 2 awesome shooters on the floor.

 

[oldude]

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.

In your lengthy diatribe, you completely ignore my central point about the BE. The BE teams, “run really sophisticated actions that force opponents to be prepared at both ends of the court.” It’s not about rankings, talent or stats. It’s about preparation.

After preparing for Jim Flannery’s sophisticated motion offense, it’s a walk-in-the-park to deal with UCLA pounding the ball into Betts while everyone else stands around or SC’s throw up a shot and crash the boards in waves. When I look at P4 conferences, there are only a handful of teams that really make you work to prepare for them: ND, TN and maybe 1 or 2 others that don’t readily come to mind.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

I will say this to those on the BY that believe games against Big East opponents don’t prepare UConn for the competition the Huskies will face in the Big Dance. This past season, UConn played SC on Feb 16, followed by 7 straight BE games before their 1st game in the BIg Dance over a month later. For the record Ark St was not as good as most BE teams and SD St was probably as good as some of the top BE teams not named UConn.

So how did Geno and his staff possibly prepare the Huskies for a gauntlet that included 4 straight powerhouse programs: OK, USC, UCLA & SC? The fact is that the BE is full of smart basketball coaches and players that run really sophisticated actions that force opponents to be well prepared and execute at both ends of the court.

I commented on that fact after attending the BE tournament at the Mohegan Sun. The truth is that many of UConn’s BE opponents gave them much better games than the 2 teams they faced in the FF.

Do you really think that playing a bunch of big, strong SEC or BIG teams in a series of “ugly wrestling matches” better prepares a team to face a small, quick team that spreads the floor, plays relentless defense, moves the ball and shoots lights out? Clearly that wasnt the case for Cory Close or Dawn Staley this past year.

Geno prepares his team for the Big Dance better than any coach on the planet, and he had more answers to roll out against every opponent he faced. That should be the case again this coming season. While I regret that WBB loses if UConn and SC don’t play, the Huskies will be absolutely fine.

We are on the same wavelength here. I made a post for easy rebuttal to zombie complaints about UConn in the Big East/ AAC.

I find the zombie complaints about UConn in the Big East/ AAC mildly annoying as I have yet to encounter someone who makes such complaints cogently explain why:

• Would UConn be more successful than what it is currently: a 12-time national champion, the only one with 3 Power Decades of dominance, the pre-eminent farm system of talent that WNBA coaches recognize?
• Would UConn’s “pretty basketball” admired by basketball legends be any more admired than it currently is?

If I had to hazard guesses, the reasons for the zombie complaints fall into two categories:

• (a) a notion about a carbon-to-diamond thunderdome/ gladiator pathway to a national championship;
• (b) utter boredom in blowouts.

Since 1995 (31 years), Geno and Muffet have combined for 14 out of 31 championships. So (a) as a null hypothesis cannot be stated with even a significant degree of confidence.

Re: (b). It is what it is. [cc: @boontonbomber re: this post]

• Geno doesn’t have any control over conference affiliation;
• Geno has some control over OOC games, but only if there is a willing counterparty;
• Geno does have control &1 over the kind of basketball he teaches, and we fans are spoiled in witnessing blowouts — is it Geno’s fault that his teams are generally that much better than willing OOC opponents?

I realize that we are used to on-demand a la carte entertainment. Geno and CD try as much to oblige &1, but there are limits beyond their control.

&1 Geno is well aware that his brand of basketball is akin to a pinnacle entertainment a la “Broadway Show” that has cascading meaning:

• Geno said he won’t retire for as long as he can consistently chase national championships (rebuttal to this @boontonbomber post);
• He admonishes his players to have the same craft dedication to put on a show (symphony of movement) when the curtains go up (chase for championships);
• etc.

Cc: @DefenseBB

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Yes, absolutely right that the Big East lacks size, similar to what is the case with most mid-majors.

I'd like to clarify my position on the Big East and this is a good spot. There are aspects of Big East play that prep UConn well for tournament play. We have a pretty good bunch of teams that are very physical and play really pretty excellent defense. They toughen us up and keep quickness in our game. So why do I wanna move: those big P5 checks.

 

[and one]

If it was up to me the series would continue; it's a good game for both teams to see how everything runs at full throttle. But, for what ever reason, we'll just have to find a replacement game. Life goes on. Some other team gets the spotlight. I'm cool with that.

 

[Cuango]

Although I’m sad that this game has been canceled, I wonder if we are making too much of the potential harm for UConn in not having that late season tester before the NCAAs. I mean, look at Kim! She routinely plays the sisters of the poor and still gets high seeds in the tourney. I do believe it would be better to have that tough matchup before the tournament but I do not think it will prevent us from winning!
Pretty disappointed (though not surprised) in Dawn’s imo self serving decision but what are you going to do? Clearly, it is a decision that is not in the best interest of Women’s Basketball but, there it is. Geno will either find an acceptable replacement, or he won’t. Either way, I have no doubt he and CD will have our girls ready (as they always are) when the tournament comes around once more! He’s a “curly wolf”, has been “over the mountain” and, has “seen the varmint!” Whatever happens, I’m pretty sure he’ll find a way to have our girls ready to play!

 

[cancontent]

Although I’m sad that this game has been canceled, I wonder if we are making too much of the potential harm for UConn in not having that late season tester before the NCAAs. I mean, look at Kim! She routinely plays the sisters of the poor and still gets high seeds in the tourney. I do believe it would be better to have that tough matchup before the tournament but I do not think it will prevent us from winning!
Pretty disappointed (though not surprised) in Dawn’s imo self serving decision but what are you going to do? Clearly, it is a decision that is not in the best interest of Women’s Basketball but, there it is. Geno will either find an acceptable replacement, or he won’t. Either way, I have no doubt he and CD will have our girls ready (as they always are) when the tournament comes around once more! He’s a “curly wolf”, has been “over the mountain” and, has “seen the varmint!” Whatever happens, I’m pretty sure he’ll find a way to have our girls ready to play!

How is it self-serving of Coach Staley when the Big East is going to 20 conference games from 18, along with the SEC new conference schedule format with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma? The logistics of arranging a schedule is a challenge as it is. Throw in these new factors, it makes it tougher for both teams, not just South Carolina.

 

[Happydad745]

After beating them twice last season, it might be the best choice for South Carolina in the near future....Dawn might be going to Cursing Anonymous and playing us might get in the way of her therapy.

 

[uconnfan68]

I respectfully disagree. The BE has plenty of quick athletic teams. What the BE lacks is size. UCLA was big and slow. While SC had a couple of athletic players like Fulwiley, by and large this was one of the slowest SC teams I can remember in a long time.

There was one particular play that stood out to me. Azzi caught a pass in transition on the left wing where she was defended by Sania Feagin, a 6’3” forward who was named to the All-SEC Defensive 1st team. Azzi didn’t even have to pump fake. She put the ball on the floor and blew by Feagin for a layup as if Feagin was caught in quicksand.

There were a few quick players, but no teams that were even as quick as us, and we slow walked a lot.

 

[Alydar]

This is disappointing. Losing such a high-profile national platform is a bad decision for the sport. Especially at a time when WCBB is in a unique position to showcase competitive excellence and grow its popularity. But I guess some people don't care about such concerns.

The media will replace the loss of quality basketball with endless trading of insults on social media.

 

[Alydar]

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?

The idea isn't to get a 1 seed. It's to win the tournament. Steel sharpens steel. UConn is the toughest test in wcbb. Texas & LSU are good, but not UConn good.

Other possible factors;

It wasn't very good for the image of the SEC for UConn to gut their perennial queens so they are shunning UConn.

Maybe the 2 schools are playing hard to get with ESPN/FOX.

 

[Alydar]

What I find hard as a fan is watching so many yawner Big East games. Perhaps I'm an exception as a fan, as I almost prefer watching a really competitive game which we might even lose, compared to a 30 point win against mid-majors. I love the excitement of tough games, and seeing how the team and coaches handle it.
While watching games during the season the farthest thing from my mind is tourney preparation. I've never quite understood the obsession with that in the Boneyard. I would love to watch a season in a power conference; I'm sure that UConn can handle the more physical game. For sure, fans of those teams are treated to more exciting games.
Oh, and, yes, it looked like playing in the Big East did little to harm UConn's prep for the tourney. But let's keep in mind that they had three #1 high school players in their lineup.

UConn won the title with 3 "yawners" against the cream of the P4 conferences. I was excited as hell during all three games.

 

[Swish It 88]

The idea isn't to get a 1 seed. It's to win the tournament. Steel sharpens steel. UConn is the toughest test in wcbb. Texas & LSU are good, but not UConn good.

Other possible factors;

It wasn't very good for the image of the SEC for UConn to gut their perennial queens so they are shunning UConn.

Maybe the 2 schools are playing hard to get with ESPN/FOX.

ESPN is not broadcasting WCBB games anymore.