Well ... it's on.

[HoopsFan21]

At this point, the weather forecast for Monday and Monday evening is dreadful.

I just hope the folks who bought tickets can get to the game without killing themselves.

Attendance will be interesting. Students will show for sure. No doubt about that. Everyone else, who knows. Probably not what ESPN wants, but scheduling a big game in one of the most northern schools in early February is kind of silly and a bit of a crap shoot. Big game or not, driving in a snow and ice storm is dumb and not only puts fans at risk, but also our fire/police/paramedics that have to go out there and rescue them. Towards the end of next week we're looking at high temperatures possibly in the single digits, and we wonder why Connecticut doesn't get big time football recruits. Who the hell wants to come to our frozen tundra of a state when anyone with talent will likely have offers from nice warm southern schools? Like Coach Macy of ECU said: I don't know how you people do it. Connecticut where it's freezing seven months out of the year, or SEC country where it's beach weather seven months out of the year. Tough choice.

 

[rvwsleep]

The weather didn't seem to bother the Ohio St. football team this year.

 

[HoopsFan21]

The weather didn't seem to bother the Ohio St. football team this year.

I don't get it. Are you equating Ohio St's program with ours? Because that would just be wrong, so that can't be it.

 

[Anonymous]

Uconn 84. usc. 54

 

[HoopsFan21]

UConn 76-68.

 

[NewCorn]

Thank you for your very entertaining and humorous post. I sincerely hope that the swagger that goes along with it turns out to be warranted. Many of us on this Board, die-hard UConn fans, have a lot of appreciation for Dawn as well as genuine respect for what she's accomplished. Some of us, at least, would like nothing better than to have a game that keeps us on the edge of our seats, marking the onset of an intense back-and-forth rivalry that rivets fans all over the nation....'twould be great for the game, where such rivalries are sorely needed. Our biggest fear, however, well, "fear" is the wrong word, but suspicion, is that UConn breezes in this one by 20+. I, for one, hope that this suspicion is proven invalid, and that we get a real contest....we'll see.

I have considerable empathy for SC. I was born in Charleston, and lived in Columbia a while as a child, before I spent 25 years of my adult life in Hartford, Connecticut where I became an avid UConn fan. My son graduated from SC, Cum Laude. (Well daddy must brag.) The sad truth is this will not be a game for the ages. UConn is truly eight deep, and could use the three top bench players with two starters and still win by 10. I look for a 25 point win. Maybe next year, SC. but don't count on it.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Massey is saying UConn 76-63, and Sagarin has UConn by about 8.5. Definitely, we are dooooooooooomed!

 

[HoopsFan21]

Am I the only one that thinks it will be decided by less than 10? I'm not pessimistic, I just see a South Carolina team that is battle tested in close games. UConn on the other hand is not so great in tight games.

 

[NewCorn]

Am I the only one that thinks it will be decided by less than 10? I'm not pessimistic, I just see a South Carolina team that is battle tested in close games. UConn on the other hand is not so great in tight games.

After this game, UConn will still be unproven in tight games. UConn will win the NC unproven in tight games.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Massey is saying UConn 76-63, and Sagarin has UConn by about 8.5. Definitely, we are dooooooooooomed!

...and Real Time RPI has Carolina by 3.

http://www.realtimerpi.com/rpi_361_Women.html

 

[Bestiarius]

Am I the only one that thinks it will be decided by less than 10? I'm not pessimistic, I just see a South Carolina team that is battle tested in close games. UConn on the other hand is not so great in tight games.

UConn hasn't been in enough close games to determine how bad they are in that situation. Every game starts off as a close game - 0-0. Sometimes games are close at halftime, but they rarely end up close. Any game that is close with a minute or two at the end can be won by either team. At that point it's more luck than skill. Even bad teams can go on a run of 5 - 7 points at any time.

South Carolina has won their close games, but what team wants to be in the position that a wild lucky shot by the opposition causes a loss. What UConn does is slowly build a lead throughout the game to avoid the need for last minute heroics to win.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Well, the Huskies are winning games by 40+ points a game, so tight games are not exactly an easy thing to find. They do seem to be doing reasonably well in blowouts, and if they play 3-on-5 maybe they can get a few of those close games to work with. Or maybe the Huskies can twiddle their thumbs for a bit to help teams get close so they can have one of those close games that would prove they're a decent team.

I've got a suggestion. Let's have UConn handicap the rest of its schedule so that if it doesn't win by 40, it's considered a loss. We could call it the "Boneyard Factor" since if the team doesn't win by at least that much there are a dozen doomsday threads, ten thousand fingernails get gnashed, and a lot of posters who weren't bald suddenly become hairless.

 

[DobbsRover2]

...and Real Time RPI has Carolina by 3.

http://www.realtimerpi.com/rpi_361_Women.html

Oh you mean the brain-dead rating system that has UConn at #7? Sure, there are a few RPI worshippers here who will agree with that. They also have USCar losing two SEC games and finishing 2nd in the conference to UTenn. So why do we even care about this game since RPI has decreed that both teams are middling? Think I'll go watch the Wofford-Chattanooga game that night, or maybe Howard vs. Hampton. Those are probably the meaningful games.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Oh you mean the brain-dead rating system that has UConn at #7? Sure, there are a few RPI worshippers here who will agree with that. They also have USCar losing two SEC games and finishing 2nd in the conference to UTenn. So why do we even care about this game since RPI has decreed that both teams are middling? Think I'll go watch the Wofford-Chattanooga game that night, or maybe Howard vs. Hampton. Those are probably the meaningful games.

If you click on the link it shows the Gamecocks winning the rest of their games.

 

[Farney]

cockhrnleghrn - If you were a vegas bookie, what would you set the spread at? Pretend you aren't an SC fan or on a UCONN board. Just an honest spread you'd set.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

cockhrnleghrn - If you were a vegas bookie, what would you set the spread at? Pretend you aren't an SC fan or on a UCONN board. Just an honest spread you'd set.

If I were a bookie I'd favor UCONN by 3 at home.

 

[DobbsRover2]

If you click on the link it shows the Gamecocks winning the rest of their games.

Not on the Warren Nolan index, which also has an RPI predictor index.

But thank you for your interest in a drab 7th rated Husky team. It really means a lot to Husky fans that fans from other teams take some interest in their free-falling team.

 

[Farney]

If I were a bookie I'd favor UCONN by 3 at home.

Ah ok. So basically its a pick'em on a neutral court (standard Vegas lines give 3 points to all home teams; Duke men get 1-2 extra as one of the exceptions) to you then. Be fun to see if its that close.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Not on the Warren Nolan index, which also has an RPI predictor index.

But thank you for your interest in a drab 7th rated Husky team. It really means a lot to Husky fans that fans from other teams take some interest in their free-falling team.

I take 'em one at a time. At 10:01 PM on Monday night I'll be thinking about a much improved LSU team.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Ah ok. So basically its a pick'em on a neutral court (standard Vegas lines give 3 points to all home teams; Duke men get 1-2 extra as one of the exceptions) to you then. Be fun to see if its that close.

That's what I believe.

 

[Geno-ista]

At least do some research before posting your drivel. Kentucky has played UConn twice in the last 15 years and neither game was officiated by Dee Kantner. When a statement that is factually inaccurate is in a post, it casts doubt on the accuracy of the rest of the ramblings.
Just to show you that there are no hard feelings, we do have a surprise waiting for you when you arrive in Storrs or rather mother nature does. I just hope your bus driver knows what he's doing. To quote BD. "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy ride." The only thing worse than the bus trip for the SC fans will be the results of the game.

You are close RV- the only thing worse than their bus trip up here, will be their bus trip home.

 

[Geno-ista]

The only concern I have about this game is that UConn might take USC lightly and look ahead to the game with Tulane.

Classic- really!!!!

 

[Vowelguy]

...and Real Time RPI has Carolina by 3.

http://www.realtimerpi.com/rpi_361_Women.html

To be clear that comes from the RealTime website's Power Ratings, not from its RPI ratings (which have no mechanism to predict margins, let alone games).

Sagarin ratings pick UConn by 8.5.
Massey ratings pick uconn by 13.

 

[Geno-ista]

If I'm not mistaken, that was Dawn's first year in Columbia and we finished 10-18. USC 64 UCONN 61. I've already written it on the board at work. Good luck and let's have a game for the aged on Monday night.

If u guys hold us to 61- u deserve to win. But if u guys hold us to 61, I don't see USC scoring out of the 50's. They are not a great scoring team, and we are now really strong defensively. I'm not seeing it- but I'm looking forward to being there!!!!

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

To be clear that comes from the RealTime website's Power Ratings, not from its RPI ratings (which have no mechanism to predict margins, let alone games).

Sagarin ratings pick UConn by 8.5.
Massey ratings pick uconn by 13.

Real Time RPI is the name of the website; I stand by my post.