Voepel picks Baylor over UConn to reach the Final Four

[RegisteredUconn]

No doubt, a tough region. The 2 teams I wanted to avoid was SC & Baylor due to size, post presence, & style of play. Should be a classic if UConn vs Baylor happens.

I'll bet her wallet wasn't involved in her pick.

 

[Reypl21]

I dont see UConn falling to Baylor. However, they are quite the obstacle before the final four. Didi will get to guard Paige all game, which will be fun to watch. And Nalyssa Smith had her way last year with UConn. She's even better now, so Edwards and ONO will have their hands full. Be careful what you wish for, I hope both teams make it to the E8

 

[DefenseBB]

Do you think the players have a chip on their shoulder because of Mechelle Voepel? Baylor is good. We haven't beaten them since Crystal Dangerfield was a freshman, so it's been a while and they still have Husky killer NaLyssa Smith which is one reason I picked Baylor as well. Of course neither Baylor nor the Huskies may reach the regional final, so we're gonna have to wait to see if that's actually the matchup, but I wouldn't be sad if Baylor got knocked out before then.

Wait, what? Baylor does have Tennessee in their way but who, exactly of Iowa, Kentucky or Syracuse is going to be UConn? Seriously, have you seen any of those schools play? Heck even if CD goes down with covid, we have Jamelle who coached as the Head Cheese for 6 years.

UConn will be making the regional final. Baylor 67%, Tennessee 33%.

 

[Alydar]

Underestimate Baylor at your own cost! I know Baylor likes being the underdog! I really hope both teams make it to the elite eight because I really want to see the matchup

Baylor can win it all but I don't think they will. Like SCar, they lack outside shooting. The Bears had zero top 10 opponents and their best opponent was Arkansas. Not their fault but nevertheless it's a huge ?
Last year Baylor had Cox and this year UConn has Edwards. Egbo is good, Smith is very good, but they are not that good.

 

[Waquoit]

And Stanford is still a hot button for a lot of fans that like to relive the perceived slight of Rebecca by Tara 26 years ago.

I believe said slight was "We have five Nykesha Sales". That still sounds haughty to me over a quarter-century later.

 

[BBallF]

I like UCONN in this potential match up with Baylor. I think the guard play and speed will determine the outcome.

 

[enigmatic]

I personally have no issue with Voepel picking Baylor to go to the Final Four. Baylor has the post presence, ability to rebound, and great defense which can give UCONN problems plus they have the home state advantage if they were to meet in the Elite Eight. But first things first, they both have to win out to get there.

 

[Cuango]

Underestimate Baylor at your own cost! I know Baylor likes being the underdog! I really hope both teams make it to the elite eight because I really want to see the matchup

While I agree that we shouldn’t underestimate Baylor, we also should understand that they are not nearly the same team they were with Cox and Brown. I expect us to win. It may be close but I think our defenses will cancel out and we will outscore them.

 

[Boreifs]

My guess is Voepel hasn’t watched a UConn game in a while. The UConn women haven’t had in years a bench loaded with quality players like they have now. Next year the bench gets even deeper.

That’s a ridiculous guess. Voepel is almost always one of the reporters on the post game pressers. Why would she ask questions if she hadn’t watched the game? Her job is to watch women’s basketball.

 

[jaydee602]

There are many pundits who had Maryland & Baylor higher than the selection committee ranked them. Consensus is that they should have been seeded higher than NC State, Texas A&M, & South Carolina. So selecting Baylor and/ or Maryland to reach the final four isn't much of a stretch. They are not the typical #6 & #7 seeded teams.

 

[ubasketball]

I remember our three losses last year (Oregon, SC, and Baylor), two of which I saw at Gampel and the other on TV. A few minutes into the Oregon game I knew we were outmatched, and it was going to be a long night. SC, at home, while looking less formidable than Oregon, seemed to have our number too. The only game that I thought we had a chance of winning was against Baylor. We hung in there with them but, in the end, their physicality overcame the relative softness of Olivia, the freshman Aubrey, and the game Kyla. We are a different, much more formidable team this year. Olivia is a year more experienced and playing to her strengths. Sure we miss Crystal and Megan, but PB and Evina are hardly steps down. And then there is "Nika is so tough...," "Everywhere Aubrey," and "Relentless Aliyah." This year's Huskies are better, deeper, and far tougher than the team that could have beaten Baylor last year. And if we face them in the regional, I think we will beat them this year.

 

[JJTB]

Important ONO and AE stay out of foul trouble in a physical game. ONO can't afford offensive fouls when setting picks.

 

[dogged1]

Naw. They’re just trying to get UConnNation stirred up to click on their articles and link them on fan sites. No one can take umbrage like an outraged Husky fan - it’s not exactly a secret. And Stanford is still a hot button for a lot of fans that like to relive the perceived slight of Rebecca by Tara 26 years ago.

I'm kind of a fan of ancient history (and especially a good grudge), and I had forgotten all about this bruhaha from years ago. Here's a link t o an old Hartford Courant story re Geno/Rebecca/Tara from years ago, if anyone is interested.

GOOD TIMING BY TARA

Ten years, Tara VanDerveer said, is a long time. And she’s right. Ten years is long enough to melt enough ice to see some truth underneath. Ten years is long enough to see VanDerveer and Geno…

www.courant.com

So, another first place finish for UConn? We're the champions of Umbrage!

 

[Vowelguy]

In many many years of watching the men’s and women’s tournament I know one thing: games that are several rounds away and generate a lot of speculation often end up not materializing.
This is a wackier year than normal, there’s no dominant team, and the crowd will be unpredictable. After the 1st round, almost anything can happen.

 

[CL82]

I'm kind of a fan of ancient history (and especially a good grudge), and I had forgotten all about this bruhaha from years ago. Here's a link t o an old Hartford Courant story re Geno/Rebecca/Tara from years ago, if anyone is interested.

GOOD TIMING BY TARA

Ten years, Tara VanDerveer said, is a long time. And she’s right. Ten years is long enough to melt enough ice to see some truth underneath. Ten years is long enough to see VanDerveer and Geno…

www.courant.com

So, another first place finish for UConn? We're the champions of Umbrage!

When told in December 1993 -- after a 19-point rout of UConn -- that the Huskies should be much improved with the arrival of a certain player from Bloomfield, VanDerveer responded: "We signed six Nykesha Saleses."

On Dec. 21, 1997, after an 16-point UConn victory in Lakeland, Fla., VanDerveer would deny ever saying it. The tape recorder insisted otherwise. The bottom line was that Sales lit up the Stanford tree for 46 points, a UConn-scoring and in-your-face record that still stands.

Then there's...

But it was the Rebecca Lobo situation that made things hairy in a lot of people's minds. "Rebecca was coming out as the darling of college basketball. There were a lot of great players already on that Olympic team, but all anybody wanted to talk about was Rebecca Lobo, Rebecca Lobo."

Lobo didn't start in a much-awaited exhibition return to Storrs. VanDerveer only played her only 13 minutes in a 36-point rout of UConn and that came off cold. She came off even colder, saying Lobo had a problem saying no to endorsements and needed to say yes to more conditioning. Many UConn fans thought VanDerveer was jealous of the adoration UConn had received and her distaste for Geno's flamboyance was being visited on Lobo.

"The kids on that team had a chance to really be showcased [when they return to their campuses] and it didn't happen here," Auriemma said. "I don't know if it was resentment on her part toward the way Rebecca was being treated or she didn't like the way Rebecca was playing or working. I never did ask her."

 

[Alydar]

Remember that ESPN wants a Texas team going deep into the tournament, Texas has a lot of ESPN+ subscribers and the more that watch the more revenue ESPN earns.
I think Voepel missed the point that for Baylor to beat UConn they must first beat Tenn. Tenn is much like Baylor, relying on defense and rebounding. I am hoping that game happens because it would be a battle royal. The winner may not be ready to play UConn.

 

[Vowelguy]

Remember that ESPN wants a Texas team going deep into the tournament, Texas has a lot of ESPN+ subscribers and the more that watch the more revenue ESPN earns.

leaving aside your ESPN+ statement which doesn’t make sense to me .... So ESPN executives tell Voepel what to write? Do they tell Rebecca what to say too or is she the only one giving her honest opinion?

 

[UcMiami]

No one seems to be talking about SC losing Lele Grissett their 6th woman to injury in the SEC championship game. Defensive stopper, 50% shooter, 19.2 minutes per game. She didn't do much in the game against us, but ...

LeLe Grissett Out for NCAA Tournament

gamecocksonline.com

 

[cbraarj]

Naw. They’re just trying to get UConnNation stirred up to click on their articles and link them on fan sites. No one can take umbrage like an outraged Husky fan - it’s not exactly a secret. And Stanford is still a hot button for a lot of fans that like to relive the perceived slight of Rebecca by Tara 26 years ago.

A lot of outside fans come to the Boneyard because it is an unanimous No.1 Top 25 ranking for Fan Sites in the country! No ones even close!

 

[diggerfoot]

When told in December 1993 -- after a 19-point rout of UConn -- that the Huskies should be much improved with the arrival of a certain player from Bloomfield, VanDerveer responded: "We signed six Nykesha Saleses."

On Dec. 21, 1997, after an 16-point UConn victory in Lakeland, Fla., VanDerveer would deny ever saying it. The tape recorder insisted otherwise. The bottom line was that Sales lit up the Stanford tree for 46 points, a UConn-scoring and in-your-face record that still stands.

Then there's...

But it was the Rebecca Lobo situation that made things hairy in a lot of people's minds. "Rebecca was coming out as the darling of college basketball. There were a lot of great players already on that Olympic team, but all anybody wanted to talk about was Rebecca Lobo, Rebecca Lobo."

Lobo didn't start in a much-awaited exhibition return to Storrs. VanDerveer only played her only 13 minutes in a 36-point rout of UConn and that came off cold. She came off even colder, saying Lobo had a problem saying no to endorsements and needed to say yes to more conditioning. Many UConn fans thought VanDerveer was jealous of the adoration UConn had received and her distaste for Geno's flamboyance was being visited on Lobo.

"The kids on that team had a chance to really be showcased [when they return to their campuses] and it didn't happen here," Auriemma said. "I don't know if it was resentment on her part toward the way Rebecca was being treated or she didn't like the way Rebecca was playing or working. I never did ask her."

What raised my eyebrows was Vanderveer predicting a Tennessee victory after we shellacked her team by 27 points in the FF semifinal. She metaphorically shoots her own team in the foot to downplay UConn’s success. I think she resented the brash, Italian new guy on the scene at the time, but has adjusted to the reality since then.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

That’s a ridiculous guess. Voepel is almost always one of the reporters on the post game pressers. Why would she ask questions if she hadn’t watched the game? Her job is to watch women’s basketball.

I think her prediction is ridiculous and so is your post.

 

[Gurleyman]

On paper, it’s probably a good matchup for Baylor if both teams get there. They have a defender to match up with our best player and we probably don’t have one to match up with theirs in our starting lineup - we play four guards and Smith is a traditional 4 (who can step out and shoot a little). AE maybe would be our best bet if we go two bigs, but then front court depth is a problem.

But first High Point.

 

[Alydar]

leaving aside your ESPN+ statement which doesn’t make sense to me .... So ESPN executives tell Voepel what to write? Do they tell Rebecca what to say too or is she the only one giving her honest opinion?

Try listening to a Knick radio announcer and a Celtic radio announcer do the same game and you'll get an idea of how "honest" sports journalists are.
No one is suggesting that executives dictate what Voepel writes.

 

[Vowelguy]

Try listening to a Knick radio announcer and a Celtic radio announcer do the same game and you'll get an idea of how "honest" sports journalists are.
No one is suggesting that executives dictate what Voepel writes.

The play by play guy for a team is never assumed to be objective. Many of them in fact work for the team.

The suggestion was that voepels pick was a result of “ESPN” wanting something. Who is ‘espn’?

Voepeis job is to give wcbb commentary.

 

[King Kong]

As I stated, Baylor is a really tough defensive team. Last year Cox was a mismatch nightmare on offense and she anchored Baylor’s defense. The Lady Bears are very good, but not nearly as formidable this year.

Massey says UConn is #1 defensively, Stanford #2, Baylor #3. Offensively, Stanford is #4, UConn #6, Baylor #7. It seems the elite 8 & finals are the time to rain 3s. UConns A game will be enough for #12.