Well here we are again.

[Charliebball]

Well, how kind of you to cut them some slack for losing to a team that was within 7 points of UConn in the second half, or a team that comfortably beat Maryland at College Park.

I really don't understand this undercurrent of negativity toward USF on this board.

I think many of the folks on the BY have a great fondness for USF......................I have no feelings either way, I'm just trying to access how good they are and what they need to do to be consistently rated a top WBB team.....................really good teams beat the teams they're supposed to beat and sometimes beat teams that are ranked ahead of the them.........................let's see if USF can do that moving forward.............

 

[Plebe]

I think many of the folks on the BY have a great fondness for USF.......I have no feelings either way, I'm just trying to access how good they are and what they need to do to be consistently rated a top WBB team......really good teams beat the teams they're supposed to beat and sometimes beat teams that are ranked ahead of the them.....let's see if USF can do that moving forward...

They are what they are. They have one or two good/great players surrounded by a few role players, with very limited depth. That was true in the Courtney Williams era and it's true today. Four of their starters played 40 minutes in the last UConn game.

Earlier you referenced being a top 20 team. Well, according to every "rating" system out there (AP and coaches' polls, RPI, Massey and Sagarin), USF is just inside the top 20. That's probably about their ceiling for this year, given their personnel limitations. They're not Notre Dame in the year 2000. Laksa and Jespersen are very good, but they are not Riley and Ratay. Ultimately, if USF is to break into the top 15 or top 10, it will have to come through recruiting more and better players.

 

[Charliebball]

They are what they are. They have one or two good/great players surrounded by a few role players, with very limited depth. That was true in the Courtney Williams era and it's true today. Four of their starters played 40 minutes in the last UConn game.

Earlier you referenced being a top 20 team. Well, according to every "rating" system out there (AP and coaches' polls, RPI, Massey and Sagarin), USF is just inside the top 20. That's probably about their ceiling for this year, given their personnel limitations. They're not Notre Dame in the year 2000. Laksa and Jespersen are very good, but they are not Riley and Ratay. Ultimately, if USF is to break into the top 15 or top 10, it will have to come through recruiting more and better players.

I think your analysis is right on..............Jose has done a great job keeping the team in the 20-25 range for the past few years and that may well be the team's ceiling unless they can recruit better athletes............I'm no expert on the team but USF has not had really quick, athletic players in recent years other the Courtney Williams who if I remember correctly wasn't that highly ranked out of high school...........the foreign players he's recruited are skilled shooters but lack the quickness needed to break down really good defenses like UConn...........

 

[Plebe]

I think your analysis is right on....Jose has done a great job keeping the team in the 20-25 range for the past few years and that may well be the team's ceiling unless they can recruit better athletes..I'm no expert on the team but USF has not had really quick, athletic players in recent years other the Courtney Williams who if I remember correctly wasn't that highly ranked out of high school......the foreign players he's recruited are skilled shooters but lack the quickness needed to break down really good defenses like UConn......

Courtney Williams was that rare diamond in the rough that every recruiting-challenged coach dreams of landing. I'm pretty sure it was a very wise man who said that there are two kinds of coaches; those who recruit great players and those who get fired. Recruiting is the sine qua non.

The other thing that is difficult about USF's position is that José is forced to shop around in the OOC for *beatable* quality opponents since the AAC has none to offer, ideally in that sweet-spot range between, say, 10 and 35. (Teams in the p5 conferences have the luxury of multiple opportunities in this range.) This year he probably did his best scheduling job ever, since teams like LSU, Oklahoma, Michigan State, and Ohio State all figured to be in or around this range. And they did play Notre Dame to within 10 on a neutral court (when ND still had Vaughn and Thompson).

 

[Wbbfan1]

I think there are three teams that will cause UConn significant problems if they meet in the tournament. The first two are obvious in Baylor and Miss St because of their Dominant Post Players. If you get McCowan of Miss St in foul trouble they are significantly less dangerous then Baylor. I think Baylor can handle if Brown or Cox get into foul trouble, not both of them. My third team is Texas because they played UConn already and it was a close game and Texas was capable of winning it, if they got more production from Joyner Holmes.

Then of course you can't overlook Notre Dame, Louisville and So Carolina. Each have talented offensive players that can go off and have huge games. All three have also played UConn this year which is to their advantage. UConn does better against teams that haven't played them and are not prepared for the level of play and intensity that UConn brings. I'm sure all three thought they should have beaten UConn in the Regular season.

I don't know if I should include Stanford in the mix of a dangerous team. I've watched a number of their games and sometimes they play great and sometimes they look like an average team. However, Tara is a great coach and can come with a game plan that can cause better teams to have problems playing them. I've excluded Oregon as I don't think they can get out of the Spokane Region.

I don't have UConn as the Overwhelming Favorite to win the National Championship. They are just one of the teams that can win it all. Now if they get to the Championship Game, I would favor UConn over any of them. I hope they're not facing Baylor in the Championship Game. That would be the toughest match up.

I'm not saying UConn won't win the National Championship, just don't think they should be an overwhelming favorite to win it all. UConn will be challenged and its not a cakewalk to win it all, like it has been in some other years.

 

[Charliebball]

I think there are three teams that will cause UConn significant problems if they meet in the tournament. The first two are obvious in Baylor and Miss St because of their Dominant Post Players. If you get McCowan of Miss St in foul trouble they are significantly less dangerous then Baylor. I think Baylor can handle if Brown or Cox get into foul trouble, not both of them. My third team is Texas because they played UConn already and it was a close game and Texas was capable of winning it, if they got more production from Joyner Holmes.

Then of course you can't overlook Notre Dame, Louisville and So Carolina. Each have talented offensive players that can go off and have huge games. All three have also played UConn this year which is to their advantage. UConn does better against teams that haven't played UConn and are not prepared for the level of play and intensity that UConn brings. I'm sure all three thought they should have beaten UConn in the Regular season.

I don't know if I should include Stanford in the mix of a dangerous team. I've watched a number of their games and sometimes they play great and sometimes they look like an average team. However, Tara is a great coach and can come with a game plan that can cause better teams to have problems playing them. I've excluded Oregon as I don't think they can get out of the Spokane Region.

I don't have UConn as the Overwhelming Favorite to win the National Championship. They are just one of the teams that can win it all. Now if they get to the Championship Game, I would favor UConn over any of them. I hope they're not facing Baylor in the Championship Game. That would be the toughest match up.

I'm not saying UConn won't win the National Championship, just don't think they should be an overwhelming favorite to win it all. UConn will be challenged and its not a cakewalk to win it all, like it has been in some other years.

It's all going to come down to the health of the UConn starters..............if Gabby, Crystal and Lou remain healthy I would certainly make UConn the favorites.............if one or more of the three can't play or are limited in their minutes it's going to be much tougher to make it through to the end...........

 

[Carnac]

The tournament will begin in earnest for UConn in game #4. Their first three draws should not present any serious challenges, proving to be nothing more than tuneups, becoming more intense as they go. Those last three will be their most challenging games.

Azura appears to be locked in and ready for tournament play. Gabby, Crystal and Lou must remain healthy and available throughout the tournament. If they can, I like their chances of winning #12 very much.

Geno has already said that he likes where the team is at this point. Another reason for UConn fans to be optimistic. The road to the championship will be clearer once the brackets are revealed. Possible matchups can then be anticipated in the later rounds.

 

[cbraarj]

It's a bad loss, but it's one game.

Kinda like Duke losing to North Carolina this year.
Or Green Bay losing to Northern Kentucky.
It happens.
Let's recall that even the mighty UConn almost dropped a game to Tulane last year.

Like Uconn losing to Mississippi State!!!