I (almost) sympathize. You guys had really good chances when UConn and Tennessee had down years. In 2006, you couldn't close out Maryland. Ask UConn fans about beating the same team 3-4 times in one season. A year or so later, Harding missed from the foul line. Great chances, but no title. I think Duke was the best team both years. It is REALLY hard to win the title--see UConn in 2011, 2008, 2001, etc.
I disagree! Next years starting lineup will be: Bria, KML, Stewart , Stokes, and Dolson. A powerful, flexible lineup with 5 scorers and rebounding!
Disagree. No way Geno will sit Caroline for a freshman.
Well if Breanna is as good as advertised, them.... Or is this just sentimentality! I say you play to win with your best players!
I'm sorry. I believe that superlative belongs to Oklahoma State.
I still remember watching DT shoot Huskies out of game with Irish in 2001. If Geno sits her down Irish don't win championship. Huskies were going to the line at will that game. And please don't tell me Geno knew DT was going to become what she is today at that point in time.
That's the spirit!
To MilfordHusky's point, Beard already had a more talented cast with Currie and Tillis and did not get to the final game, so I agree that she is out of the discussion. At the time, I recall that the argument against Powell being the NPOY was that her stats were "inflated" due to playing in a weak conference. It's hard not to be influenced by post-college success in judging Powell vs. DT and think that those arguing against Powell were right.
The problem of putting Maya on the '03 and '04 teams is that Maya does everything BT does better than BT - thereby making our second-best player of those years irrelevant. And Maya is not a primary ballhandler to help Maria with the PG duties. As good as she is, she doesn't complement the roster we had.
Lindsay could (can) score, lead, make others better, and inspire confidence. If she had 20+ PPG seasons at Minnesota, it's reasonable to think she could at least come close to DT's averages of 17.9 PPG and 16.2 PPG in '03 and '04, respectively. (Two things surprised me looking at their stats from those years: Dee had more assists in '03, and Lindsay shot a respectable 40 percent from three in '04...on 100 attempts. I think Geno's coaching would have improved that weakness in Lindsay's game earlier in her career.) Duke was the best team on paper in '04, and Lindsay (with a lesser cast than DT) beat them in the NCAAs. But Lindsay changes the complexion of the team because she and Maria in the backcourt together are too slow.My argument here hinges on the belief that a lineup of Whalen, Strother, Battle, Turner, and Moore--coached by Geno--could still beat the runner-up, Tennessee. I think's it's reasonable. It's not "Who has the most intangibles?" or "Who is the better player?" but "Could someone else do it?"
Playing with and starting are two separate things.
I deny the weak-kneed part.
You sound like an erstwhile teacher who has a part-time job creating essay questions for standardized tests.
Magic, you clearly do not understand Geno and how he treats his players and has built credibility with them over the last 25+ years. Loyalty, trustworthiness and faithfulness are high on his list of integrity. Just like KML starting the season coming off the bench and learning by watching experienced players so will Breanna. She will get plenty of minutes but will not automatically jump into the starting line up following a path of numerous AAs before her. It is not sentimentality it is about building character.
Also, he loves having the team get better with bench players. It's a great strategy. The starting five will obviously be better than just about any other team, and with the players he's bringing off the bench, I would argue that they get better with substitutions. I can't think of a single other team that will be able to say that.
