UConn vs. Mississippi St. [GAME THREAD]

[BigBird]

Well, BigBird was right; it was NOT a 30-point rout.

Thanks, Zorro. That was more diplomatic than I likely deserve.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Rebecca: just wants to watch and appreciate Stewie's (up to) last 4 games as a college player.

Lots to appreciate today.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Mississippi State - welcome to UCONN basketball.

Exactly what I said at the arena. They were ready for UConn, because they had played Tennessee. Well, excuuuuuse me!!

 

[MilfordHusky]

Miss State not much better than Robert Morris I guess.

They'd be mid-level in the AAC.

 

[BRS24]

It was interesting when Doris said that all programs should book tickets to Storrs, CT and learn from Geno how it's done. Frankly, it's a combo of so many factors, I don't know if any coaches or entire staffs have the collective time and patience to understand the entire UConn process (wing to wing as we used to say in corp USA).

Starting with recruiting, it takes a special player (no heroes, no stars, no problem parents, no attitude, etc, etc), a good hoop IQ, work ethic, sense of team, and knows how to pass. Then get to campus and understand that no matter how hard you thought you were working, it's not enough. Our players are almost always better conditioned than others. Add in attention to detail, academics, coaching in non-hoop things such as public speaking, how to present self in public (no headphones, wearing hose with dresses, signing autographs), and you've got some serious balance of the player and person. Then, as if that's not enough, you have the master, Geno, with expectations of how to get the most out of you and what you have to do to get there. (phew). And then there's the legacy handed down from player to player. There are probably other factors that I've forgotten ....

How does a program understand this concept? How does a coach implement a total system in/out of hoops?

 

[Carnac]

Haha why do you think I'm going to get "huffy" hahaha is that my reputation here?

Lol, seriously though... here's my rebuttal.

1. I don't believe you. Not calling you a liar... I just don't believe you. Why would UCONN want to be in the SEC? Geographically, culturally, financially... it makes no sense. From a student athlete POV, it makes no sense... Warm weather sports vs. cold weather sports.. We like football, baseball, softball, gymnastics and soccer.. We even have equestrian in the SEC... Most of you northern schools play lacrosse, field hockey, hockey and such. There are plenty more reasons why I don't believe you.. but you get my point. Hard for me to see a match between UCONN and the SEC and I can almost guarantee neither side ever approached the other about a marriage.

2. Maybe you're right but how can this be proven? Has every SEC school coach, president/AD come out and say "UCONN is perpetually banned from joining our conference, we sure are glad they're not in our conference". Some of our leagues coaches, Dawn, Nikki and Holly specifically, actually seek out high level competition from D1 schools like UCONN..

If your point of all of this is to point out how UCONN would go undefeated in any P5, maybe you're right.. who am I to say they won't.. They just beat a pretty decent Mississippi State squad by 60 in the most dominating fashion I've seen in a LONG time... you'll get no rebuttal from me there.

OK, you don't believe me, I got that. Do you think UConn is happy being in the AAC? You do know why UConn is there, and no longer in the Big East right? UConn would like to be in any of the P-5 conferences for a lot of reasons, least of all, financial ones. Like Jimbo (above) said, UConn would accept an invitation into the SEC in a New York minute. Being in the AAC for them is like being in purgatory. They were happy being in the BIG East, but things changed (politics), and they were booted out. They can't wait to get out of there. Remember, UConn did not ask to be in the AAC, they were assigned there.

 

[uconnfan68]

OK, you don't believe me, I got that. Do you think UConn is happy being in the AAC? You do know why UConn is there, and no longer in the Big East right? UConn would like to be in any of the P-5 conferences for a lot of reasons, least of all, financial ones. Like Jimbo (above) said, UConn would accept an invitation into the SEC in a New York minute. Being in the AAC for them is like being in purgatory. They were happy being in the BIG East, but things changed (politics), and they were booted out. They can't wait to get out of there. Remember, UConn did not ask to be in the AAC, they were assigned there.

To be clear, they weren't booted out. The Catholic hoops schools broke away, and bought the name.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Did anyone notice that the player Paulido was guarding late in the game took a shot from the elbow and did not catch iron. Did our #2 get credit for a block? (Tipped ball)

She did. Dr. Pulido was playing hard.

 

[SCGamecock]

OK, you don't believe me, I got that. Do you think UConn is happy being in the AAC? You do know why UConn is there, and no longer in the Big East right? UConn would like to be in any of the P-5 conferences for a lot of reasons, least of all, financial ones. Like Jimbo (above) said, UConn would accept an invitation into the SEC in a New York minute. Being in the AAC for them is like being in purgatory. They were happy being in the BIG East, but things changed (politics), and they were booted out. They can't wait to get out of there. Remember, UConn did not ask to be in the AAC, they were assigned there.

Hahahaha oh stop it, you're being so dramatic. UCONN basketball is NOT hurting right now in the AAC. Men or Women's. Your basketball programs are considered blue bloods... You'll always be relevant.

I would try really hard to get into the ACC before Geno retires though.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Hahahaha oh stop it, you're being so dramatic. UCONN basketball is NOT hurting right now in the AAC. Men or Women's. Your basketball programs are considered blue bloods... You'll always be relevant.

I would try really hard to get into the ACC before Geno retires though.

We have a perception problem across the nation. UConn as a school does not do enough to highlight all the great things about it and what it could offer to a P5 conference. You won't find our president lobbying for a spot in a P5 via twitter. There was a thread on I think the Nebraska board talking about what teams they'd like to add to the B1G, and someone said Kansas over UConn because they were better at basketball and football. Apparently it's not common knowledge that while Kansas does have 3 men's basketball titles to its name over the course of its long and distinguished history, UConn has 4 in the last 20 years. Many people out there will never put UConn in that same blue bloods category of Kentucky, Duke, UNC, Kansas, et al. Also no one remembers that UConn has gone to a BCS bowl game not long after it moved up to D-I football. Never mind owning the most dominant program in the history of the WCBB game. We also win national championships in some other sports that don't get much press. It's just ridiculous how overlooked the school is from every aspect, though here I'm obviously talking about athletics. As I said on the conference realignment board, one of the biggest impediments to getting into a P5 is that P5s can't kick out dead weight members so ultimately the number of available seats at the big boy table has always been finite while half the teams occupying those seats don't deserve it but are luckily grandfathered in. I guarantee you among the upper echelon schools in the P5s, they would cut a one time check to dump loser programs from their league and snap up UConn in a second if they could.

 

[hoophuskee]

Hahahaha oh stop it, you're being so dramatic. UCONN basketball is NOT hurting right now in the AAC. Men or Women's. Your basketball programs are considered blue bloods... You'll always be relevant.

I would try really hard to get into the ACC before Geno retires though.

You're wrong. Unless your qualifier of "AAC" has some sort of meaning. But the AAC in mcbb is not very relevant.

You don't think our men's team is hurting?

We used to be a perennial top 20 team and for a stretch a top ten team many years in a row. Now we are in the 20's or 30's. Our big radio station here, WTIC a couple of announcers talking asking the question ""was this year "disappointing."" They both answered "no." Now we have our local announcers "content" with being ranked about 30 "and that is okay." THAT wasn't "okay" during Jim Calhoun's hey-day. Now we are happy to be in the 20's or maybe even the 30's.

 

[Jimbo]

C'mon. when it comes to conference membership, Women's basketball means nothing.

It's all about FOOTBALL . . . FOOTBALL . . . FOOTBALL.

And compared to SEC football, UConn football is nowhere.

I'd argue it's much more about money … money … money. Football obviously plays a large role in that, but if football alone determined everything, there's no real way to explain Rutgers in the Big 10. I'd further argue that UConn football, while no traditional powerhouse, to be sure, has been maligned a little bit unfairly in much of the realignment talk, as the article at the top of the following thread explains:

the-boneyard.com/threads/narrative-that-uconn-football-is-hindrance-to-p5-invite-is-dead-wrong.90282/

I'm also kind of hoping this doesn't completely turn into a conference realignment thread, because we've got a whole board devoted to that topic and I think it might be a more appropriate place for some of these discussions. So, while this may be futile, back to the subject at hand…

Following today's win, FiveThirtyEight's forecast gave UConn an 88% chance of winning the tournament. That's now down to 86% since Texas and Baylor have won, so evidently 538 didn't think much of UCLA or Florida State.

 

[Siestakeyfan]

Great Press conference BOTH teams and players

 

[ctfjr]

I understand keeping Lou in, to steady the team, but why Morgan? I'd give her some rest. Tough game coming up in 2 days.

Tough game? I thought they were playing Texas?

 

[HoopsFan21]

Tough game? I thought they were playing Texas?

Remember last year's game against Texas? Dave O'Brien made comments about "how this has got flat out embarrassing" as UConn just destroyed Texas 105-54 setting the record for largest MOV in a S16 or later game. Of course today UConn reset that record with their 60 point MOV and when the starters went out it was close to a 70 point lead. Last year's Texas game is one of my recent faves. Threes were raining in from every one and the start of that second half was just unbelievable when UConn went up 70-28 in the first few minutes and Texas was forced to call TO. If you thought today was a clinic, go back and watch last year's Texas game.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Remember last year's game against Texas? Dave O'Brien made comments about "how this has got flat out embarrassing" as UConn just destroyed Texas 105-54 setting the record for largest MOV in a S16 or later game. Of course today UConn reset that record with their 60 point MOV and when the starters went out it was close to a 70 point lead. Last year's Texas game is one of my recent faves. Threes were raining in from every one and the start of that second half was just unbelievable when UConn went up 70-28 in the first few minutes and Texas was forced to call TO. If you thought today was a clinic, go back and watch last year's Texas game.

You are absolutely correct. I have watched the game several times. My favorite part is the Kiah block party. Come right in and start stuffing.

 

[UcMiami]

We have a perception problem across the nation. UConn as a school does not do enough to highlight all the great things about it and what it could offer to a P5 conference. You won't find our president lobbying for a spot in a P5 via twitter. There was a thread on I think the Nebraska board talking about what teams they'd like to add to the B1G, and someone said Kansas over UConn because they were better at basketball and football. Apparently it's not common knowledge that while Kansas does have 3 men's basketball titles to its name over the course of its long and distinguished history, UConn has 4 in the last 20 years. Many people out there will never put UConn in that same blue bloods category of Kentucky, Duke, UNC, Kansas, et al. Also no one remembers that UConn has gone to a BCS bowl game not long after it moved up to D-I football. Never mind owning the most dominant program in the history of the WCBB game. We also win national championships in some other sports that don't get much press. It's just ridiculous how overlooked the school is from every aspect, though here I'm obviously talking about athletics. As I said on the conference realignment board, one of the biggest impediments to getting into a P5 is that P5s can't kick out dead weight members so ultimately the number of available seats at the big boy table has always been finite while half the teams occupying those seats don't deserve it but are luckily grandfathered in. I guarantee you among the upper echelon schools in the P5s, they would cut a one time check to dump loser programs from their league and snap up UConn in a second if they could.

The internet in all its forms is full of really ignorant people and lots of disinformation. Getting Uconn into a P5 is going to have nothing to do with anything happening on the internet, but on cold hard negotiations with college presidents, ADs, conference commissioners and their staffs, and folks who are not receiving their guidance from twitter or fan blogs. It will have to do with academic standing and athletic competitiveness as well as media markets and Uconn's own fan support. If folks really want to help, the best way is to make sure that Uconn venues are sold out and that uconn is well represented in the stands of road and neutral site venues - be there or stop complaining.

 

[Nuyoika]

I just has a random thought... so the SEC is perceived by those who play and coach in it and the media to be the best conference in WCBB. So then how does the second best team in the conference (Miss State) end up as the worst 5 seed and therefore in UConn's bracket? I am so confused.

 

[HoopsFan21]

The internet in all its forms is full of really ignorant people and lots of disinformation. Getting Uconn into a P5 is going to have nothing to do with anything happening on the internet, but on cold hard negotiations with college presidents, ADs, conference commissioners and their staffs, and folks who are not receiving their guidance from twitter or fan blogs. It will have to do with academic standing and athletic competitiveness as well as media markets and Uconn's own fan support. If folks really want to help, the best way is to make sure that Uconn venues are sold out and that uconn is well represented in the stands of road and neutral site venues - be there or stop complaining.

I hear you, but the problem is today perception is reality. That's just what happens as the speed of information increases.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Remember last year's game against Texas? Dave O'Brien made comments about "how this has got flat out embarrassing" as UConn just destroyed Texas 105-54 setting the record for largest MOV in a S16 or later game. Of course today UConn reset that record with their 60 point MOV and when the starters went out it was close to a 70 point lead. Last year's Texas game is one of my recent faves. Threes were raining in from every one and the start of that second half was just unbelievable when UConn went up 70-28 in the first few minutes and Texas was forced to call TO. If you thought today was a clinic, go back and watch last year's Texas game.

81-18 is even worse than 70-28.

 

[MilfordHusky]

You are absolutely correct. I have watched the game several times. My favorite part is the Kiah block party. Come right in and start stuffing.

Kiah had more stuffing than Pepperidge Farm!

 

[Henry]

My wife and I went to the game today, stayed for the second game and got home a little after 5. After the performance of the UCONN team, I needed a nap. I was getting tired watching them play. The second game, while exciting at the end was a snoozer. We left right before the end when we saw the last minute take about ten minutes.

 

[Plebe]

I missed the first half yesterday because I'm on the west coast and slept in late. But I just went back and watched it, and all I can say is WOW. What. A. Performance. It truly does capture the magnificent and aesthetic brand of dominance that is UConn's.

 

[uconnell]

Doesn't UConn have an equestrian team? I know we have been to the stables a few years ago and believe it or not there were horses in the stable.