what's at stake Uconn vs Notre Dame!

[alexrgct]

Actually ND won 3 straight (starting with the 2011 FF), then the Big East loss to UConn (2012), then won 4 straight, before UConn prevailed in the 2013 FF (Stewart's 1st).

What's amazing to me is the 2 programs faced off 12 times in 3 years (2011 - 2013) with all the regular season games, the conference tournament finals and the FF meetings. Uconn's record over those 12 was 5 - 7.

But technically/conveniently, we can include Skylar's freshman season, when ND went 0-3 against us. so our record against her was 8-7.

 

[UcMiami]

Actually ND won 3 straight (starting with the 2011 FF), then the Big East loss to UConn (2012), then won 4 straight, before UConn prevailed in the 2013 FF (Stewart's 1st).

What's amazing to me is the 2 programs faced off 12 times in 3 years (2011 - 2013) with all the regular season games, the conference tournament finals and the FF meetings. Uconn's record over those 12 was 5 - 7.

It really was an interesting stretch, and the only other one close to it was the Rutgers one earlier during the Cappy years. Uconn's overall record against ND and Rutgers is great, but two old BE teams were able to bite back at their dominance for selected windows.
From 1994 through 2013 (the last yr of OBE) - 20 years - Uconn won 16 tournament titles, with four other teams winning one - Villanova (03), BC (04), Rutgers (07) and ND (13). In the same period they won 16 regular season titles as well as sharing #1 in 2001 with ND. The other winners: 2005 Rutgers, 2006 Rutgers, 2012 ND, 2013 ND

You know, TN just cancelled the series when Parker graduated, ND went and left the conference after Diggins graduated!!! And props to CViv for showing more fortitude than those other coaches, Rutgers hung around for quite a while after Cappy graduated before they cut and ran. *

*[History as seen through Blue tinted glasses]

 

[HoopsFan21]

It's not much of a rivalry when one side has won 75% of the games.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Here's what Skylar Diggins has to say about the game:

Former Irish star Diggins: Huskies 'always bring it'

"It's great we're going to have the biggest test this early, but I don't think it's a make-or-break for either team," Diggins said. "It's going to be a competitive game. I want to see how Brianna Turner plays in this game; she's still finding out how good she is.

I have not watched enough ND games to form this judgment, but I have read that Turner sorta disappears in big games. I think that has to be relative to her potential. I think that Diggins just sorta confirmed that. May it continue. Ogunbowale ... really dislike her style of play and would like to see her held down by UConn defense.

 

[bags27]

If we win, we showcase the program's glory.

If we lose, it demonstrates how a high school prospect can step in and fill any gaps.

I'm okay with how recruiting is affected either way.

The outcome of this game or even of this season isn't going to affect a lot of recruiting decisions. Uconn's got its star point guard for the next 4 years, its star g/wing for 4 years after this, and its star strong forward/center for 4 years after that (= all-star pitcher, catcher, center fielder). And some other very good players coming in next year. There is a powerful, powerful structure already in place. There are absolutely no question marks about the program, its resources, or the University. Potential recruits will either want to be part of this and want to be coached by Geno, or they won't.

 

[trb123]

We are not P5.
Most of the teams in our OOC schedule are from P5 conferences.
The general expectation was that we will lose a few games this year and a new champion will be crowned.
If we continue to win, will P5 teams schedule us?
Duke (and perhaps Stanford) have already dropped out.
Baylor was anticipating a victory.
A loss at ND will help maintain our strength of schedule.

 

[Charliebball]

What's at Stake?!

2018
1) Christyn Williams, G
2) Izabella Nicoletti, G
3) Shakira Austin, P
4) Honesty Scott-Grayson, PG

2019
5) Samantha Brunelle, F

So if UConn wins, all of those recruits will only want to sign with the Huskies?
Or to turn it around, if the Huskies loose all of those recruits will only sign with Notre Dame? Yikes!!!!!

 

[Buzzyboy]

My favorite part is where Skylar astutely points out — for those readers who are *really* bad at math — that players who were freshmen last year are sophomores this year.

I know it comes across as "Duh" but the point I think she was trying to make though she didn't say it too articulately was that freshmen are often overwhelmed adapting to college both socially and scholastically and many, if not most freshmen athletes make a substantial leap in their respective sports their sophomore year.

 

[Buzzyboy]

We are not P5.
Most of the teams in our OOC schedule are from P5 conferences.
The general expectation was that we will lose a few games this year and a new champion will be crowned.
If we continue to win, will P5 teams schedule us?
Duke (and perhaps Stanford) have already dropped out.
Baylor was anticipating a victory.
A loss at ND will help maintain our strength of schedule.

How would it look for a program trying to improve their status and legitimately convince their players they can reach the mountain top if they refuse to play the best? Some programs may get away with it in a subtle fashion but if none of the better women's programs scheduled UConn it would become obvious to most everyone that they are avoiding the Huskies to their own detriment.

 

[Buzzyboy]

So if UConn wins, all of those recruits will only want to sign with the Huskies?
Or to turn it around, if the Huskies loose all of those recruits will only sign with Notre Dame? Yikes!!!!!

No one believes any of this. Notre Dame will continue to get quality women's basketball players because Notre Dame is a wonderful learning institution and Muffett is a great coach while others will continue to gravitate to UConn to be coached by the greatest coach (and assistant) in the history of women's basketball. It's possible that could change eventually once either or both coaches are gone but that's the State of the Union as of now. The programs only issue is where to hang all those banners that the Huskies continue to earn for their continued excellence.

 

[trb123]

How would it look for a program trying to improve their status and legitimately convince their players they can reach the mountain top if they refuse to play the best? Some programs may get away with it in a subtle fashion but if none of the better women's programs scheduled UConn it would become obvious to most everyone that they are avoiding the Huskies to their own detriment.

1. What evidence do you have that it will be to their detriment?
2. If a majority of the powerhouse schools stop scheduling Uconn, will the top recruits continue to come here? We need to consider the effects of a prolonged (3-4 yrs) boycott.
3. Will we be able to retain good coaches if other teams do not play us or offer lucrative contracts we cannot match?

 

[UcMiami]

We are not P5.
Most of the teams in our OOC schedule are from P5 conferences.
The general expectation was that we will lose a few games this year and a new champion will be crowned.
If we continue to win, will P5 teams schedule us?
Duke (and perhaps Stanford) have already dropped out.
Baylor was anticipating a victory.
A loss at ND will help maintain our strength of schedule.

This has been a popular 'theory' for pundits ever since the BE started tearing itself apart. The reality is there are always going to be good teams and experienced coaches that want to give their teams a test early in the season so that they (and their players) can gauge themselves and their preparation for later stern tests. The mixture varies each year, but Uconn hasn't needed to beg anyone to play them yet. Sometimes a coach like Kim will back off when she feels her team is too young/inexperienced to take a beating, but with her recent recruiting she was back on the phone arranging another H and H. Aston certainly didn't enjoy her first encounter, felt better about the second and agreed to a third that I think she feels rightly will greatly help her team grow, and she wants more. Dawn, Muffet, Freese, and others see these games as positives for their programs.

And ... the big money wants these games as well - all the broadcasters are pushing for bigger, better games throughout the year. And the exposure that comes from playing in those games is a definite advantage for the programs involved. ND is likely a sell out, Kansas is a sell out, pretty much every road game Uconn plays brings in a significantly larger local crowd than every other home game on the schools schedule - you cannot do that with marketing, but you can by bringing the circus to town, and win or lose, that has to help build a program's local support.

And I honestly think you are seeing that in the AAC - a collection of schools from other mid-major conferences that are getting a little more focus, a little more energy, and a little more success every year because they play Uconn every year. It creates just a little extra buzz about their programs.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Hey BYers, I went into surgery at 7:30am and was in my room by 9:15am, alive with a new pacemaker!
So the Doctors are holding up their end of the bargain, I'll be in my bed in front of the TV at 7pm tonight watching UCONN vs ND!
As I wrote on the score prediction thread I'm picking UCONN by 8 - 9, but it may be more if Huskies get on a roll!
I've learned never bet against the Huskies!
Watch for UCONN inside making "Golden Domers" cry with frustration!

 

[Buzzyboy]

If we get to May undefeated, I'll have been thrilled to know that this team ended up winning the national championship and having another unbeaten season!

This was my way of saying that the season e

Nothing's really at stake. The only games that matter are in March and April.

I think one thing that is at stake is that during and after the Skylar Duggins years there was an arrogance that was coming out of South Bend and it's finally started to dissipate and I want it to continue to do so. I don't want the Irish to have a glimmer of confidence or cockiness when they're due to play the Huskies. In the Skylar Duggins era we LOST a number of games to Notre Dame rather than Notre Dame having WON a number of games over us. Between some uncharacteristically bad late game glitches on our part (sloppy play and missed free throws) along with some HORRIFIC officiating, we LOST most of those games. The term luck of the Irish couldn't have been more evident because if anything, all but one or two of those games were handed to them but yet you would have thought they owned us and dominated us and kicked our butts. It may have been the aura of Skylar Duggins because she captivated the media with her skills and her looks and her charisma and the officials seemed to allow her to do whatever she wanted on the court. If she missed, she must have been fouled. If there was contact, it was her opponent that had created it. I don't ever want to return to those days where I feel the Huskies were continually disrespected in those games.

 

[UcMiami]

1. What evidence do you have that it will be to their detriment?
2. If a majority of the powerhouse schools stop scheduling Uconn, will the top recruits continue to come here? We need to consider the effects of a prolonged (3-4 yrs) boycott.
3. Will we be able to retain good coaches if other teams do not play us or offer lucrative contracts we cannot match?

A majority of the P5 have never scheduled Uconn - but you think Vic at Miss State wouldn't consider a H and H to get him prepared for conference battles against SC? Or Rueck at Oregon State, or .....
These coaches and programs all think first about their conference championships, and anything they can do to get a leg up in prep for those games they will do. And they aren't going to collude with their rivals, they will try to one-up them. If Dawn decided to cancel the series with Uconn, I suspect Vic would be on the phone in a flash, and strangely some item would get into the press about Miss State stepping in where SC feared to tread!

 

[Buzzyboy]

This has been a popular 'theory' for pundits ever since the BE started tearing itself apart. The reality is there are always going to be good teams and experienced coaches that want to give their teams a test early in the season so that they (and their players) can gauge themselves and their preparation for later stern tests. The mixture varies each year, but Uconn hasn't needed to beg anyone to play them yet. Sometimes a coach like Kim will back off when she feels her team is too young/inexperienced to take a beating, but with her recent recruiting she was back on the phone arranging another H and H. Aston certainly didn't enjoy her first encounter, felt better about the second and agreed to a third that I think she feels rightly will greatly help her team grow, and she wants more. Dawn, Muffet, Freese, and others see these games as positives for their programs.

And ... the big money wants these games as well - all the broadcasters are pushing for bigger, better games throughout the year. And the exposure that comes from playing in those games is a definite advantage for the programs involved. ND is likely a sell out, Kansas is a sell out, pretty much every road game Uconn plays brings in a significantly larger local crowd than every other home game on the schools schedule - you cannot do that with marketing, but you can by bringing the circus to town, and win or lose, that has to help build a program's local support.

And I honestly think you are seeing that in the AAC - a collection of schools from other mid-major conferences that are getting a little more focus, a little more energy, and a little more success every year because they play Uconn every year. It creates just a little extra buzz about their programs.

I so totally agree. If you try and avoid playing the best continually, it eventually will come back and bite you. It undermines the confidence you are trying to instill in your players if they feel that you are afraid to play a program and yet your coaching staff is trying to convince you that you're the best. How could "the best" be afraid of another program????

 

[j66kicker]

Hey BYers, I went into surgery at 7:30am and was in my room by 9:15am, alive with a new pacemaker!
So the Doctors are holding up their end of the bargain, I'll be in my bed in front of the TV at 7pm tonight watching UCONN vs ND!
As I wrote on the score prediction thread I'm picking UCONN by 8 - 9, but it may be more if Huskies get on a roll!
I've learned never bet against the Huskies!
Watch for UCONN inside making "Golden Domers" cry with frustration!

That's great - congrats! Get well now!

 

[UcMiami]

Hey BYers, I went into surgery at 7:30am and was in my room by 9:15am, alive with a new pacemaker!
So the Doctors are holding up their end of the bargain, I'll be in my bed in front of the TV at 7pm tonight watching UCONN vs ND!
As I wrote on the score prediction thread I'm picking UCONN by 8 - 9, but it may be more if Huskies get on a roll!
I've learned never bet against the Huskies!
Watch for UCONN inside making "Golden Domers" cry with frustration!

Great news! So glad things got straightened out and the operation went well. Speedy recovery. My mom had a pacemaker and it worked a treat for 20+ years. Passed in her sleep at 95 being active and traveling to the last day. Wishing you the same kind of success. (always assuming you are not in fact over 95 at this point, in which case I wish you longer life and health! )

 

[Buzzyboy]

1. What evidence do you have that it will be to their detriment?
2. If a majority of the powerhouse schools stop scheduling Uconn, will the top recruits continue to come here? We need to consider the effects of a prolonged (3-4 yrs) boycott.
3. Will we be able to retain good coaches if other teams do not play us or offer lucrative contracts we cannot match?

Your point that it would be some sort of advantage if we lost so that we'd somehow be perceived as vulnerable so that P5 teams won't be afraid to schedule us couldn't be more counterproductive. Maybe Geno could make poor substitution choices or keep a key player in even if they've drawn a second or third foul midway through the first half and possibly contribute to their fouling out. Or have a key player on the bench for what could be perceived as a mental error they made early in the game???? What would your players think of the coaching staff that thought losing a game is for the common good of the team and the university??? Players want to play the best and schools that flagrantly refuse to play the best teams would lose potential players to schools where they got to play the best. UConn became a top flight basketball team because both Geno and Calhoun brought kids in who wanted to play against the best! Syracuse, Georgetown, Villanova, St. Johns and the top talent in the country. Eventually we started getting our share of top players and 15 national championships later, here we are! If you denied kids that opportunity, you'd lose them and your program would eventually deteriorate to nothing.

 

[huskyd]

Wbat's at stake is that, win or lose, Doris Burke will be talking about "undefeated and # 1 UConn" or "undefeated and #1 Notre Dame" while doing games that have nothing to do with either team until I am tempted to shoot out the TV (like Elvis did to Robert Goulet).

Don't shoot the messenger, bags, silence her using the MUTE button. That's how I always watch big games to keep from being distracted from what I'm seeing or being annoyed by someone telling me what I'm seeing. Rabid UConn fans know the team better that most announcers (except Rebecca Lobo and the SNY crew). Just keep the defibrillator ON . . .

 

[Buzzyboy]

That's great - congrats! Get well now!

Yes, get well!

 

[Bajan Best]

So if UConn wins, all of those recruits will only want to sign with the Huskies?
Or to turn it around, if the Huskies loose all of those recruits will only sign with Notre Dame? Yikes!!!!!

As you and I both know, they are no guarantees in life and each player is different in their reasoning to select a program.. But it certainly doesn't hurt for each program to have that victory as material to use to convince each player why now is the time to come on board, as the two teams path may not collide again until after those desired signatures are obtained.. Everything that occurred before is in the past and this is where it is at now, this is the future. Come be part of something Special.. that would be my pitch

 

[Schoup]

As you and I both know, they are no guarantees in life and each player is different in their reasoning to select a program.. But it certainly doesn't hurt for each program to have that victory as material to use to convince each player why now is the time to come on board, as the two teams path may not collide again until after those desired signatures are obtained.. Everything that occurred before is in the past and this is where it is at now, this is the future. Come be part of something Special.. that would be my pitch

UConn's tradition speaks for itself. They get the job done. I bet UConn gets that across in recruiting in the "Geno way" that you may get to final 4 with ND, or some other school, but we actually win the Trophy.

ND has been to 5 of the last 6 Final 4's and in 4 of the last 6 NC games and lost all 4.

UConn has been to 9 Final 4's in a row and in 6 of the last 8 NC games with 6 wins!

It's nice to be able to say every frosh class since 96-97 has won at least 1 championship and every class since 86-87 has been to at least a final 4.

 

[CBear01]

UConn's tradition speaks for itself. They get the job done. I bet UConn gets that across in recruiting in the "Geno way" that you may get to final 4 with ND, or some other school, but we actually win the Trophy.

Great point. I think what's at the core here is that Geno recruits winners...that is he is out to find players that know how to win and get high off of winning. Players that get the job done and can pull out wins for their teams. Seems to me a pithy tactic as now you have a squad at Connecticut full of players that can win a game. This greatly affects chances at multiple national championships (once you taste that victory you only want it more and more)

Looks like it's been working out for Geno:
since 95 season he is 770-53 @ a 94% clip
In 10 seasons (including current) he is 341-14 @ a rediculous 96%

That's pretty dope

 

[JavaMan]

Hey BYers, I went into surgery at 7:30am and was in my room by 9:15am, alive with a new pacemaker!
So the Doctors are holding up their end of the bargain, I'll be in my bed in front of the TV at 7pm tonight watching UCONN vs ND!
As I wrote on the score prediction thread I'm picking UCONN by 8 - 9, but it may be more if Huskies get on a roll!
I've learned never bet against the Huskies!
Watch for UCONN inside making "Golden Domers" cry with frustration!

Did they give you a remote control with that pacemaker? It might be a tight game tonight.

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