Welcome to your Nitemare

[Tonyc]

From here on out we will play teams who have not faced us this season. From what I heard at the game yesterday some were concerned. Hey Texas has 4 losses and 3 of the losses to Baylor. Baylor has 1 loss. Good teams but not UConn good. UConns bigs play like guards. Theyre good ball handlers and smart players. They are trained like U.S. Marines. They will be no tuff matchups moving forward. First no team has a player who can guard Stewie and no, player who can guard MoJeff or Tuck. Second our defense will swallow them up. Mississippi St is a good team. UConn made them look bad. That what happens when reality hits and it hit early in yesterdays game. What Mississippi St feared most became a reality...it became a Nitemare.

Texas already has a mental problem because UConn beat them by 51 last season on a neutral court. You don't think that remains in their minds???? Now theyre playing UConn again. Texas has had a great season as has Baylor and can you imagine whats going on inside their heads. The other side of the bracket isn't thinking about UConn yet but Im sure theyre watching the games. The thoughts inside their heads haven't developed into reality yet.

UConn is Relentless, Fearless and Invincible and they know it and so do opponents. Stewie is playing like Diana did only difference Stewie is 6'4. Stewie is playing at a level that is Olympian level. Between Mojeff and Stewie the intimidation on defense is shattering. You could see it in every post season game they've played and you will continue to see it until they win their 4th NC in a row.

 

[TitleTown]

At this time of year there are no guarantees and nothing is certain. I have seen a lot of funny things happen in March.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

I'm starting to get the feeling that Tony might be leaning toward picking UConn in this year's tournament.

 

[DesertFox]

At this time of year there are no guarantees and nothing is certain. I have seen a lot of funny things happen in March.

Amen to that. Lets just stay humble and hope nothing happens that would change the extremely high level the team is playing at.

 

[BRS24]

Cannot even imagine what the TX/UCLA players were thinking as the UC/MS game was unfolding.

 

[Tonyc]

After watching the games yesterday in person and on TV the only Upset that UConn will face is their opponents after UConn beats them. I don't mean to sound cocky but this isn't gonna even be close. Do you realize the ND and SC game and even yesterday how Geno called off the press and fast break . The second half most of the time there were only 2 starters and we won by 60. We beat Texas last season on a neutral floor by 50+ and they lost to Baylor 3 times by not nearly as much. Unless there are major fouls or injuries and I hope not UConn is going to roll like a steam roller and it aint even gonna be close. We're Going to the TOP .... the VERY TOP.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

This is a Golden Age of Connecticut basketball. Enjoy every minute of it. As Coach Geno said at his press conference, next year a lot of those balls that were swatted away will be going in, and a lot of the balls that were going in just won't. And unlike this Golden Age in which the great Tina Charles was joined by the great Maya Moore, and both were succeeded by the great Breanna Stewart, Coach Geno said that he does not see another dominant great player out there for a very long time.

The good news is that that means that other teams will not be able to snare a great player and dominate the game as our kids have, or as some other players have. So coaching genius will be telling. But by the same token, the future will not result in uncontested greatness by Connecticut.

So enjoy the Golden Age while you can. Enjoy the moment!

 

[UConnNick]

After watching the games yesterday in person and on TV the only Upset that UConn will face is their opponents after UConn beats them. I don't mean to sound cocky but this isn't gonna even be close. Do you realize the ND and SC game and even yesterday how Geno called off the press and fast break . The second half most of the time there were only 2 starters and we won by 60. We beat Texas last season on a neutral floor by 50+ and they lost to Baylor 3 times by not nearly as much. Unless there are major fouls or injuries and I hope not UConn is going to roll like a steam roller and it aint even gonna be close. We're Going to the TOP .... the VERY TOP.

I seriously doubt anybody connected with the Texas program would agree that Albany was a "neutral" site for a game vs UCONN. It might be slightly more neutral than Bridgeport, but that's hardly a distinction with a great deal of difference.

 

[pacific 44]

Uconn would have only won by 49 if the game had been played one state away from Texas.

 

[UCAP_Fan]

But Tony, how do you really feel about UCONN's chances. By the way, great seats. Thanks.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Cannot even imagine what the TX/UCLA players were thinking as the UC/MS game was unfolding.

I guarantee that there were no constipation issues.

 

[pinotbear]

I guarantee that there were no constipation issues.

Don't know, Rocky, might've been some serious puckering going on....

 

[pinotbear]

I seriously doubt anybody connected with the Texas program would agree that Albany was a "neutral" site for a game vs UCONN. It might be slightly more neutral than Bridgeport, but that's hardly a distinction with a great deal of difference.

In all seriousness, this brings up an interesting subject - how far away does a site have to be, to be considered truly "neutral". By car, Albany is more than two hours away from Storrs, and Googlemaps has it over 130 miles. That's almost the same as NY City. Or, Philly to DC. States out west are larger, dramatically (Montana is roughly 30x bigger than CT), so driving that time and distance to go somewhere isn't as traumatic, perhaps. But, how far from Storrs would the regional need to be, to be adjudged as "neutral"?

 

[RockyMTblue2]

In all seriousness, this brings up an interesting subject - how far away does a site have to be, to be considered truly "neutral". By car, Albany is more than two hours away from Storrs, and Googlemaps has it over 130 miles. That's almost the same as NY City. Or, Philly to DC. States out west are larger, dramatically (Montana is roughly 30x bigger than CT), so driving that time and distance to go somewhere isn't as traumatic, perhaps. But, how far from Storrs would the regional need to be, to be adjudged as "neutral"?

Peking?

 

[chuck.r]

In all seriousness, this brings up an interesting subject - how far away does a site have to be, to be considered truly "neutral". By car, Albany is more than two hours away from Storrs, and Googlemaps has it over 130 miles. That's almost the same as NY City. Or, Philly to DC. States out west are larger, dramatically (Montana is roughly 30x bigger than CT), so driving that time and distance to go somewhere isn't as traumatic, perhaps. But, how far from Storrs would the regional need to be, to be adjudged as "neutral"?

how about Lincoln, NE

 

[Carnac]

After watching the games yesterday in person and on TV the only Upset that UConn will face is their opponents after UConn beats them. I don't mean to sound cocky but this isn't gonna even be close. Do you realize the ND and SC game and even yesterday how Geno called off the press and fast break . The second half most of the time there were only 2 starters and we won by 60. We beat Texas last season on a neutral floor by 50+ and they lost to Baylor 3 times by not nearly as much. Unless there are major fouls or injuries and I hope not UConn is going to roll like a steam roller and it aint even gonna be close. We're Going to the TOP .... the VERY TOP.

Tonyc - It becomes increasingly hard to remain (and appear) humble, when the team you root for blows out everyone they play, even the good ones by 40-60 points. Yet, we must remain vigilant. We can't let our emotions get the better of us.

When you witness what we've seen throughout the season, AND..................you hear Kara Lawson and Rebecca Lobo (two women how know their basketball, and are objective) sing UConn's praises, and repeated say that they don't see anyone that's left in the tournament beating UConn. What are you suppose to do?

When you hear Doris Burke (who I like by the way) constantly sing UConn's praises, and say they are the most complete team in WCBB today, and that Geno is a master at coaching the game, and that other coaches should invest the time and effort to attend his practices, what are you suppose to do?

When you hear veteran Division 1 collage coaches (who don't have UConn skin in the game) that have been to a few rodeos, say that UConn is the best they've seen, and that nobody is going to beat them, what are we supposed to do?

If you tell a person something long enough (and its believable), they'll start to believe it. Especially if they like what you're saying.When I write a comment, I have to restrain my self from saying "we" in reference to UConn.

I've never set foot on UConn's campus. I've never set foot in the state of Connecticut, but I feel close to the program none the less, I'm as giddy and excited about the women's program as anyone else in the yard. UConn and the UNLV Running Rebels (my granddaughter goes there, and is affiliated with the team) are the only WCBB teams I root for.

We want to remain credible, and objective when we post, sometimes its hard. How does one comment on a thing that is as close to perfect as you can get without sounding boorish or cocky? Beats me.

 

[Carnac]

Remember when I posted a comment before the first round of games, and said that a dark horse would appear. A dark horse appears every year with out fail. This year's dark house was Syracuse. Nobody saw them coming.

They got hot at the end of the season, and made it all the way to the championship game. That's where their dream ended. That run did wonders for their recruiting endeavors for Q. Potential recruits now know who he is, and know that his program is legit, and on the come. Even though he lost, he still won.

 

[hoopsdiva]

Don't forget Washington, they were also a dark horse that made it to the FF. And even though Oregon State wasn't a true dark horse, the visibility they got by playing UConn on the big stage will be invaluable to them going forward.

 

[Carnac]

After watching the games yesterday in person and on TV the only Upset that UConn will face is their opponents after UConn beats them. I don't mean to sound cocky but this isn't gonna even be close. Do you realize the ND and SC game and even yesterday how Geno called off the press and fast break . The second half most of the time there were only 2 starters and we won by 60. We beat Texas last season on a neutral floor by 50+ and they lost to Baylor 3 times by not nearly as much. Unless there are major fouls or injuries and I hope not UConn is going to roll like a steam roller and it aint even gonna be close. We're Going to the TOP .... the VERY TOP.

Tonyc - In retrospect - EVERYTHING you said in this post came true. I respect the fact that you had the guts to step out, and call your shot. I'm going to remember that. You think like I do. I basically said the same thing, and tried to back up my position with past game box scores, results and stats. Some folks are afraid of the unknown. That's human nature. Some of us are not. We're willing to step out and based on recent events (games played), and the "eye test", make reasonable and logical predictions. Folks were worried and concerned about Oregon State and Syracuse, both of whom were on a roll. That's nice, but UConn was on a roll too. UConn was not just beating some teams or most teams, they were beating EVERYBODY...........by double digits.

People forget that UConn starts training and getting ready to play these last six games in October. They've been doing it that way for decades. UConn is the most feared team in the country. Why, because no other team wanted to be in their bracket. Teams were more than willing to take their chances against any other team in any other bracket than UConn's. They all knew UConn would come out of their regional.
If Washington, Oregon State or Syracuse had been in the Bridgeport Regional, they would not have made it to Indy. That's my point. The fact that they were in other regionals, allowed them to advance as far as they did. No other team in the Bridgeport regional made it to Indy.

The success OSU and Syracuse enjoyed did not come at the expense of UConn. Some folks forget that UConn was the #1 defensive team in the country, and stepped out on the court every night and played like it. The teams OS and Syracuse vanquished were not defensive juggernauts. In the end (as we predicted), UConn rolled over both of these programs. Bill Parcels said it best: "You are what your record says you are". UConn's record said THEY were the best. Not OSU, not Syracuse. Its OK to believe what your eyes are telling you. Don't believe the hype.

The news media tried to spike fan interest with articles and comments (supposition) that UConn was flawed, and due for a downfall. That was pure folly, that had some folks scratching their heads in wonderment.
When I saw the pieces on TV that spotlighted Oregon State and Syracuse, and made them out to be Gollths, I had to laugh. They tried to make it sound like these two teams were so dominant, that no one was going to deny them, and that they could not be beat. They were shooting the lights out, and suffocating others with their defense. An upset was looming, this was their year. UConn was doomed. They were poised to take UConn to the limit. The media suggested we should not be surprised if the game comes down to the last shot. Some folks actually bought into that crap. I commented to not believe the hype.

UConn did not just beat teams this year (with exception of Notre Dame and USC) they blew them out and demoralized them. You can't lose a game by 40+ points, and leave the arena felling good about yourself and your team. There were tears in both locker rooms of the opposing teams after the games in Bridgeport and Indy. Nobody in there felt good about what just happened, including the coaches. During the post-games pressers, none of the players on the losing team that took the podium looked happy.

UConn did nothing to suggest their match up against Oregon State or Syracuse would be any different, but some could not see that. This year's team was special. They did not come close to losing a game all year. So why are they going to start now? What dynamic were they bringing into THIS game that UConn had not encountered this year? Geno told us last year at this time what his mindset was. He said: "If we were going to lose, we'd have done it by now". What more do you need? The man just told you they were not going to lose.

There will always be those that don't agree with our takes. I'm OK with that. After all, its just an opinion. I said it all year.........In Geno I trust. Congratulations to the UConn women's program on a magnificent season. All of the team and individual awards received were deserved. I'm thankful that I was able to witness history being made. This team just did something I don't think we'll see again in our life time. UConn just set a record that will stand for decades. As Bob Hope always said..........Thanks for the memories. It was a fun ride. Go Huskies.