Well here we are again.

[Tonyc]

The regular season is over and now we're looking at the post season. Alot of questions have been answered. Z is turning into the player we expected preseason. Kia and Gabby unbelievable defenders and can slow down an offense. Lou is NPOY imo. She may not get it but she is the most complete player in WCBB. CD has been a tremendous surprise handling the team. Megan will rise to the top during the post season. Geno will stay off her case and she will be more relaxed and able to perform without the pressure of worrying about what she has to do. She will just play.

I dont see a team out there that can beat UConn. Only UConn can beat themselves however with their defense its gonna be pretty tuff.

Injuries haunt us again. Another year with a short bench, but two of the best defensive players in WCBB will carry us.

The surprise team in the NCAAs will be USF. A couple of really good shooters/scorers and some very disciplined teammates. I really like USF alot and they are UConn tested.

 

[EricSD]

Great points Tony and great point about USF. I hope they get a favorable draw and do some serious damage (like elite 8)...

 

[msf22b]

USF is no surprise to me.

Like quite a few college teams, Ohio State being another, if you let them run their offense and get only reasonably contested shots, they can be a threat. That has been the case with USF for the last few seasons.

What UConn has regularly done is to smother them; prevent Laksa the ball
and make it near impossible for her to shoot uncontested. And their experienced and skillful point-guard has been sniped to the point of desperation by a combination of savvy UConn defenders.

It is this quality that will give our team a very good chance to win another Natty.
I remain hopeful but not as secure as during the Stewart and Co, years.

 

[MSGRET]

USF is no surprise to me.

Like quite a few college teams, Ohio State being another, if you let them run their offense and get only reasonably contested shots, they can be a threat. That has been the case with USF for the last few seasons.

What UConn has regularly done is to smother them; prevent Laksa the ball
and make it near impossible for her to shoot uncontested. And their experienced and skillful point-guard has been sniped to the point of desperation by a combination of savvy UConn defenders.

It is this quality that will give our team a very good chance to win another Natty.
I remain hopeful but not as secure as during the Stewart and Co, years.

With Z's performance over the past month, I see a better chance of the 12th. She seems to have finally had the light bulb click on. Now if Morgan can do the same over the next month and we have no major injuries I should be able to sit back, relax, and enjoy with my Comfort and water during the games.

 

[huskeynut]

I think there are 3 keys to another championship:

Defense - Defense - Defense.

The continues emergence of Z

No injuries.

 

[mbr33ct]

Great points Tony and great point about USF. I hope they get a favorable draw and do some serious damage (like elite 8)...

Wasn't it just 2 years ago (2016-17) with only 2 teams from the AAC conference the selection committee decided to put UConn and USF in the Bridgeport Regional?

 

[Bama fan]

With Z's performance over the past month, I see a better chance of the 12th. She seems to have finally had the light bulb click on. Now if Morgan can do the same over the next month and we have no major injuries I should be able to sit back, relax, and enjoy with my Comfort and water during the games.

I assume your Comfort is a Southern lady, born in New Orleans, where there is a party on every street and the good times never stop. BTW, she was the favorite drink of Ms Janis Joplin, too. She of the infamous 'Four gentleman and One Great, Great Broad. Big Brother and the Holding Company.' A fine choice, just a splash of water! Enjoy!

 

[MSGRET]

I assume your Comfort is a Southern lady, born in New Orleans, where there is a party on every street and the good times never stop. BTW, she was the favorite drink of Ms Janis Joplin, too. She of the infamous 'Four gentleman and One Great, Great Broad. Big Brother and the Holding Company.' A fine choice, just a splash of water! Enjoy!

You assume correctly, I had it for the first time while stationed at Fort Polk when I was eating fried catfish and jambalaya. Went down so smoothly haven't drank much of anything else over the past 22 years. This coming from a guy who used to drink Warsteiner beer from Germany.

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

Nice Thread Tonyc...
I am pretty excited for the NCAA Tourney.

I believe UConn is in pretty good shape on the injury front at this point...
- Lou has shown no issues with ankle/foot since she got that new brace she wears, and she still runs the floor well, plays solid defense and will be a serious weapon in the tournament.
- Danger seems to be improving from the shin splint issue, or at least put them in the back of her mind to a place where she is able to play Danger Ball during the games with superior quickness, vision and ability to make things happen either from 3pt range or driving the lane to get her shot. She is a facilitator and there are not many PGs in the nation that will slow her down in the tournament.
- Gabby will have 10 days of rest before she plays in the first round of the NCAA tournament. We have to believe UConn has the best medical efforts on this, giving her regular treatments to get her as close to 100 percent as possible before the tournament. The first game will be against the #64 team in the tournament....so maybe Gabby only plays a little to "knock the rust off"... and to minimize any chance of further injury and save her for later rounds. Like Sweet 16 and later. And, I believe the championship means so much to Gabby that she will play through anything!
- Z is going to be a force...and a dynamic 6th Player ... No Other Team in the Tournament can bring someone of her skills and abilities off the bench... someone that can take over a game. Could she "get pushed around" by some of the bigger centers?? Maybe so,.... BUT, she has started to extend her range of successful shots...even making some from 3 lately... can the other bigs play her out there??? Sure, but it will open the lane for a much more mobile big to go around them, or for our other players to make cuts to the basket.
- Kia will continue to lock down any team's big scoring guards the way she has all year. And, she wants to leave with another National Championship, so expect her to bump up the aggressive defense and her overall play over it's already superb level.
- Megan - the light is going on. She moves well on the court, she showed some great speed and moves and she is playing aggressively on defense.

I have concerns regarding some teams with Big Bigs...yes... Baylor, MSST, TX,.. who could disrupt the UConn offense and make things tough on defense, but I have faith that Geno and his Staff know the strategies to deal with those issues and to rise above.

Really looking forward to the start of the Tournament!!!

 

[Bama fan]

You assume correctly, I had it for the first time while stationed at Fort Polk when I was eating fried catfish and jambalaya. Went down so smoothly haven't drank much of anything else over the past 22 years. This coming from a guy who used to drink Warsteiner beer from Germany.

I drink very little anymore, trying to make up for many years when that was not the case. But when I drink, I like either porter or Irish whiskey. Never been to Germany or had Warsteiner beer. But I have had plenty of catfish and jambalaya! Go Huskies.

 

[Centerstream]

With any luck, and the way past tournaments have unfolded, of the 3 most cited teams with big bigs, we would probably only have to face one. Unless one is in our region, then possibly two. But I also believe that not all 3 will make it to the Elite Eight or Final Four.

 

[UCAP_Fan]

Tony, will we see you at the FF. I know it's tax time but... I would like to see you there. We need your Mo Jo.We'll see you there I hope.

 

[Bronx23]

The regular season is over and now we're looking at the post season. Alot of questions have been answered. Z is turning into the player we expected preseason. Kia and Gabby unbelievable defenders and can slow down an offense. Lou is NPOY imo. She may not get it but she is the most complete player in WCBB. CD has been a tremendous surprise handling the team. Megan will rise to the top during the post season. Geno will stay off her case and she will be more relaxed and able to perform without the pressure of worrying about what she has to do. She will just play.

I dont see a team out there that can beat UConn. Only UConn can beat themselves however with their defense its gonna be pretty tuff.

Injuries haunt us again. Another year with a short bench, but two of the best defensive players in WCBB will carry us.

The surprise team in the NCAAs will be USF. A couple of really good shooters/scorers and some very disciplined teammates. I really like USF alot and they are UConn tested.

TonyC I usually find most of your comments valuable and on target way more than not.
I have one problem with the post and that's the wishful thinking about MW. While I hope you're right, I see little evidence she will rise to the top in the post season. Best case scenario I can see for her is that one of the top six has foul or injury problems and she has to play more and makes a contribution.
I more likely hope that the light goes on I. The off season and she works her butt off to figure out what she needs to do to become close to the player many of us expected her to be.
I thought more or less the same thing about CD last year and look at where and who she is now. That doesn't mean it happens to every top recruit their sophomore year.
I think USF is a very good team but sweet sixteen or elite eight would be an accomplishment
Bronx23

 

[MSGRET]

I drink very little anymore, trying to make up for many years when that was not the case. But when I drink, I like either porter or Irish whiskey. Never been to Germany or had Warsteiner beer. But I have had plenty of catfish and jambalaya! Go Huskies.

My dietician wants me to cut out alcohol, but I told her that I'll cut back on everything else, but I got to have a Comfort or two nightly. Over the past 10 weeks I've lost 25 pounds, eating the right amount of veggies, starch and meats or fish, properly proportioned, cutting out fatty foods and snacks. So I told her that since it's only one or two drinks, which some doctors recommend, it's not going to hurt my diet. She gave up, because like I told her, I cut out the sodas, candy, chips, and most deserts.

 

[Charliebball]

Great points Tony and great point about USF. I hope they get a favorable draw and do some serious damage (like elite 8)...

If I remember correctly, USF has a history of disappointing loses to teams they should be able to beat..............let's see if that continues this year

 

[VA Huskie]

I assume your Comfort is a Southern lady, born in New Orleans, where there is a party on every street and the good times never stop. BTW, she was the favorite drink of Ms Janis Joplin, too. She of the infamous 'Four gentleman and One Great, Great Broad. Big Brother and the Holding Company.' A fine choice, just a splash of water! Enjoy!

Gotta love anyone who remembers the “one great broad and...” line. I got to see Janis in Philly in 1968. Yes she had her Southern Comfort bottle on stage with her. And she was fantastic!

 

[Plebe]

If I remember correctly, USF has a history of disappointing loses to teams they should be able to beat....let's see if that continues this year

Uhh, not sure what you're remembering.

2017: #11 USF lost to #6 Missouri, 66-64.
2016: #6 USF beat #11 Colorado St, 48-45, and then lost to #3 UCLA, 72-67.
2015: #6 USF beat #11 LSU, 73-64, and then lost to #3 Louisville, 70-62.
2014: USF missed the NCAA tournament but reached the WNIT final four.
2013: #10 USF beat #7 Texas Tech, 71-70, and then lost to #2 Cal, 82-78 (OT).

The only other year that USF made the NCAA tournament was 2006, when they were a #9 seed and lost to #8 Southern Cal, 67-65.

In 2009, USF was controversially passed over for an NCAA bid but then won the WNIT championship.

If someone can point me to the history of disappointing losses to teams they should be able to beat, I'm willing to be enlightened.

 

[Bama fan]

Gotta love anyone who remembers the “one great broad and...” line. I got to see Janis in Philly in 1968. Yes she had her Southern Comfort bottle on stage with her. And she was fantastic!

Thanks for the kind words, and for your appreciation of a great artist. We both are showing our age. While I still can remember, it is good to share the best memories.

 

[Charliebball]

Uhh, not sure what you're remembering.

2017: #11 USF lost to #6 Missouri, 66-64.
2016: #6 USF beat #11 Colorado St, 48-45, and then lost to #3 UCLA, 72-67.
2015: #6 USF beat #11 LSU, 73-64, and then lost to #3 Louisville, 70-62.
2014: USF missed the NCAA tournament but reached the WNIT final four.
2013: #10 USF beat #7 Texas Tech, 71-70, and then lost to #2 Cal, 82-78 (OT).

The only other year that USF made the NCAA tournament was 2006, when they were a #9 seed and lost to #8 Southern Cal, 67-65.

In 2009, USF was controversially passed over for an NCAA bid but then won the WNIT championship.

If someone can point me to the history of disappointing losses to teams they should be able to beat, I'm willing to be enlightened.

Those stats are pretty impressive even though they can't seem to get out of the second round, I was speaking about their regular season performance................once we get to the big tournament I only follow teams that UConn might have trouble with.................

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Great points Tony and great point about USF. I hope they get a favorable draw and do some serious damage (like elite 8)...

Yeah, where are they projected to be. I know. Too low a seed to make a reasonable guesstimate.

 

[Plebe]

Those stats are pretty impressive even though they can't seem to get out of the second round, I was speaking about their regular season performance......once we get to the big tournament I only follow teams that UConn might have trouble with.......

Well, most teams over the course of an entire season drop a few games to teams they should beat. Pretty rare for every game to go chalk.

 

[Charliebball]

Well, most teams over the course of an entire season drop a few games to teams they should beat. Pretty rare for every game to go chalk.

true but there's no excuse for losing to Wichita State

 

[Plebe]

true but there's no excuse for losing to Wichita State

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.

 

[Charliebball]

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.

I'm cutting them some slack with the Michigan State and Oklahoma losses but if they want to be a top 20 team they have to consistently beat the decent teams and start taking some scalps...........one and done in the NCAA's shouldn't be considered a success if they want to be taken seriously as a developing power

 

[Plebe]

I'm cutting them some slack with the Michigan State and Oklahoma losses but if they want to be a top 20 team they have to consistently beat the decent teams and start taking some scalps......one and done in the NCAA's shouldn't be considered a success if they want to be taken seriously as a developing power

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.

 

[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.