What will it take to compete with UConn??????

[Tonyc]

We have seen UConn roll over opponents this season and what is more impressive is they've done a lot of damage with KML and Tuck sitting out. Those wins weren't really ever in doubt. How does a team missing an AA and a terrific player in Tuck beat top ranked teams without hesitation?

Just before the Maggie Dixon Classic I was talking to Danny K and some fans when Caroline Peck and Pam Ward walked up to take their seats. I introduced myself and we chatted and I said "when you talk about who can beat UConn, tell your audience nobody can, only UConn can beat UConn." They smiled.

So the question is who can compete with UConn? Its taken Geno over 20 years to get to this point. He has built something special here at UConn. This gives you a little idea of how long it might take another coach to build a team that can compete with UConn year after year. Some of you are thinking but Tonyc what if Tenn or SC or UNC get A'ja Wilson and some other top players. Well how many top players does Duke have? How bout Tenn? How bout most of the top teams? They cant compete with UConn. Its not about talented players because if it were UConn wouldn't have dominated those top teams with KML and Tuck sitting on the bench. Its all about the T.E.A.M. and executing within your coaches system and every player must be on the same page or it doesn't work.

UConn is what they are because Geno had a dream. He is relentless in getting the kids to believe in him and his system and relentless in getting them to do it right time after time and getting them all on the same page. Once they're all on the same page they can learn. Kinda like Ben Hogan hitting all those golf balls day after day or Michael Jordan shooting all those shots so when the time arrived for him to make a shot it became reflexive. Geno doesn't rely on their talent he relies on them buying into his system and doing it right. Their talent will become an asset within his system. That's why UConn beat those top teams without, KML and Tuck without blinking an eye. They did it because they can plug kids into Genos system, who can execute and believe within the system and they don't miss a beat. If they screw up Geno yanks them and they know they better not make the same mistake again. We call that tuff love. This is all a result of being disciplined. The ole saying "repetition is the mother of skill." That's only holds true when you learn the proper fundamentals and repeat them over and over again. If you learn the wrong way and keep practicing the wrong way well the results will never get better.

To become great you have to be willing to out work your competitors. That means making a total commitment. A total commitment is when you give up doing things the way you have been doing them, and you are willing to pay a huge price in advance and there are no guarantees. . You have to be disciplined and willing to do what others wont do and do it over and over and over again until it becomes reflexive. You have to be willing to have fun doing it and you have to have the fear of never letting up knowing that if you do somebody else can beat you.

To achieve this our opposition will have to do what its taken Geno over 20 years to do. See if some of the top recruits UConn is looking at go elsewhere, no worries, Geno will find somebody who wants to play for him and do it his way and he will plug them into his system and UConn will continue to roll. If you think Im wrong take a look at some of the top talented kids over the years that have gone elsewhere, then take Stef who wasn't ranked in the top 20 or Saniya or Sue Bird. Look at what they've become within UConns system. Geno won with them. Why? Because they made a total commitment to what Geno was teaching them.

So for another team to compete with UConn barring all injuries etc. Its going to take some time. There will be one year wonders or teams who have a special college player but those teams will lack consistency over the years. The reason why is they have never built a disciplined system. ND is a very good team this season but imo they aren't within 15 pts of UConn. Now we don't play them this season so we will never know which makes me right...LOL... and you right too if you disagree with me LOL.

I would like to wish everybody a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and please remember the troops and their families.

 

[Sonny44]

What would be more impressive than a miracle?

 

[msf22b]

Merry Christmas Tony, Minnesota or the Sparks just might take them

 

[easttexastrash]

A WNBA team...

 

[pinotbear]

.. made up of UConn players...

 

[baggerbob]

Breanna, KML, and Stef missing a game with the flu.

 

[SubbaBub]

Obviously, the answer is a team of one inch tall Auriemmas coached by a full size Auriemma.

 

[iri10]

Tonyc's post, like most Tonyc posts, has the feel of a rhetorical question. But I'll answer it in a more literal way.

Discipline, composure, hunger. Many teams have one or two of those, but you usually need all three to beat UConn lately (unless you have a game-changer like Griner - that can help too). Discipline in particular is the rare one; only ND and a handful of others have that. Composure is needed to survive any UConn runs. And you need someone hungry to step up at crunch time; Skylar Diggins is a great example of a hungry UConn-killer. Her numbers weren't the best when ND played UConn, but she succeeded when she needed to*.

*well, except for that last game.

 

[Icebear]

Steadfast will.


That is what it will take because that is what sets UCONN apart.

 

[msf22b]

If there is one player with the will to win and skill-set it's Sims.
THe Baylor game could be tough if a few of the supporting class steps up.

Let's not forget the effect of a superior coach, one who can squeeze more out of his team than that's seemingly there:
Jeff Walz is the fella I'm thinking of. You don't want a letdown in front of him (x2) or likely 3.

 

[alexrgct]

If there is one player with the will to win and skill-set it's Sims.
THe Baylor game could be tough if a few of the supporting class steps up.

Let's not forget the effect of a superior coach, one who can squeeze more out of his team than that's seemingly there:
Jeff Walz is the fella I'm thinking of. You don't want a letdown in front of him (x2) or likely 3.

It's certainly conceivable the Baylor game could be tough, but a) given it was a 4OT loss, they're pretty much on par with Kentucky, b) who lost a fairly close game but solidly to Duke, c) who UConn walloped. You don't want to assume the transitive property always applies, but...well, actually I do want to assume that.

 

[baggerbob]

Last years Baylor game will have an effect on this years game. That was the low point of Stewie's year when she was struggling, she played 7 minutes with no points. If there is one regular season game she has been thinking about it will be that one, I wouldn't expect another 7 minute, 0 point performance.

 

[Tenspro2002]

And you need someone hungry to step up at crunch time; Skylar Diggins is a great example of a hungry UConn-killer. Her numbers weren't the best when ND played UConn, but she succeeded when she needed to*.

*well, except for that last game.

You can say that again. It was easy for the pundits to overlook Diggins's dreadful numbers (4-15 7 TOs, 11-31 8 TOs, 5-15 5 TOs) when she consistently made plays at winning time. Fortunately, in the Final Four, the awful numbers persisted (3-15 6 TOs), but we never gave her the opportunity to make a play in a late-and-close situation.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Two scenarios, possibly both together are needed.

Foul trouble, injuries, and poor performances by 2+ key UConn players.

A mentally tough, well coached, talented team on a night when multiple players have career nights.

Either is possible, though not likely.

 

[uconnfan68]

If there is one player with the will to win and skill-set it's Sims.
THe Baylor game could be tough if a few of the supporting class steps up.

Let's not forget the effect of a superior coach, one who can squeeze more out of his team than that's seemingly there:
Jeff Walz is the fella I'm thinking of. You don't want a letdown in front of him (x2) or likely 3.

For Sims... great talent, but no one else has the shot-blockers we have. Not worried. For Louisville, not worried, about coaches or team. They don't have the talent to stay close. No one does.

 

[Buzzyboy]

If there is one player with the will to win and skill-set it's Sims.
THe Baylor game could be tough if a few of the supporting class steps up.

Let's not forget the effect of a superior coach, one who can squeeze more out of his team than that's seemingly there:
Jeff Walz is the fella I'm thinking of. You don't want a letdown in front of him (x2) or likely 3.

Sims is a great player and she has toughness and will, but she had them and supposedly the most significant player in the history of women's basketball (Griner) and they only eked out a couple of narrow wins over UConn while UConn won a couple, as well. That UConn team wasn't as good or skilled as the juggernaut that we have now and Sims has no Griner so I'm thinking that there is no way, Jose! Sims is absolutely not that big a game changer. UConn would have to throw the game or have Dolson break a leg and KML reinjure her elbow while having Stewart play the worst game of her college career. I don't take any team for granted but I'm not buying your scenario.

 

[msf22b]

Sims is a great player and she has toughness and will, but she had them and supposedly the most significant player in the history of women's basketball (Griner) and they only eked out a couple of narrow wins over UConn while UConn won a couple, as well. That UConn team wasn't as good or skilled as the juggernaut that we have now and Sims has no Griner so I'm thinking that there is no way, Jose! Sims is absolutely not that big a game changer. UConn would have to throw the game or have Dolson break a leg and KML reinjure her elbow while having Stewart play the worst game of her college career. I don't take any team for granted but I'm not buying your scenario.

Sims is a completely different player w/o Griner; much more assertive, understands "she's got the whole world in her hands," and accepts the responsibility.
In the Kentucky game she was relentless.
I'm not saying we're going to lose or even that she'll score 30+ but she could.
And if another player or two stepped up, it could be a difficult game.along the lines that Milford suggested.
She also could get folks into foul trouble and we don't have a whole lot of guards.
i'm sure Geno is thinking of all these things.
What I'd love to see is Stewie batting away a few of her floaters and Sims getting discouraged.

 

[Tonyc]

I really don't see Baylor even coming close. I watched the Miss St/Baylor game and it was at Baylor. Baylor won by 7 and trailed by 1 at the half. One of the biggest assets UConn has is their shot blockers. They know how to block shots without fouling. That creates an intimidation factor on dribble drives. You saw that will Cal recently. This is the exact reason why Im not concerned about ND if we meet them either. We are not the team we were last season. For one we are healthy. Second are freshman from last season are now sophs and play a different game this season and by March will be off the charts good.

When you think about the NCAAs remember this. We beat Duke at Duke by 22. We beat MD at MD Penn St @ Penn St without and right after KML and Tuck went down. How much more would we beat them by on a neutral floor with KML and Tuck healthy? IMO A lot more. Bottom line is you cant play UConn one on one and if you double down on somebody somebody else goes off. It is very difficult to score inside on UConn and very tuff to run with UConn because our bigs run the floor so well. I don't see a team coming within 15 pts of us and most likely most will lose by over 30. I say this barring any major injuries which we've already seen what can happen with KML and Tuck out. We won inspite of them being out.

 

[reno tony]

I don't see one team that possesses the players to beat UCONN but an All-Star type team could.... with the right coaching. Sims, Lloyd, Ogwumike, Gray, Thomas might be a start to a decent team and you can add others as well. But to be fair you can only have eleven players like UCONN. Then put Muffett with them for about 4 weeks and let's see some great basketball.

 

[msf22b]

This leads us to the hypothetical about next season
We lose Stef and Bria
and pick up a gaggle of the best guards (some can play small forward) in the universe.
With the possibility of a dominating big person.

ND loses a lot, still has a lot
UTenn, perhaps better
Baylor loses Sims, is not particularly strong…who else?

Anyone see any sort of a challenge anywhere on the horizon?
How long can this go on w/o really, serious concerns (break up the Yankees) ?

I know we've beaten this subject to death
But the disparity seems to continue to grow.

With or without Ms Wilson, this team will dominate
Perhaps to an extent never seen before
Esp. if Geno gets Stewie to focus on her legacy.

 

[baggerbob]

Sims will score but she has to play defense, and who is she going to guard? She is going to have to work hard on both ends of the floor against UConn, there are no players you can defend on UConn, and get a breather.

 

[MikeBraddock]

Sims is a great player and she has toughness and will, but she had them and supposedly the most significant player in the history of women's basketball (Griner) and they only eked out a couple of narrow wins over UConn while UConn won a couple, as well. That UConn team wasn't as good or skilled as the juggernaut that we have now and Sims has no Griner so I'm thinking that there is no way, Jose! Sims is absolutely not that big a game changer. UConn would have to throw the game or have Dolson break a leg and KML reinjure her elbow while having Stewart play the worst game of her college career. I don't take any team for granted but I'm not buying your scenario.

 

[MikeBraddock]

Yeah, Buzzyboy , Simes has lost her Griner and cant get up.

 

[Wonkster]

... For Louisville, not worried, about coaches or team. They don't have the talent to stay close. No one does.

I think Louisville's goose is cooked this year after losing Slaughter. They're not going to the Final Four in 2014.

 

[Wonkster]

Sims will score but she has to play defense, and who is she going to guard? She is going to have to work hard on both ends of the floor against UConn, there are no players you can defend on UConn, and get a breather.

Who do you think Geno will put on Sims?