Why is everyone freaking out this season?

[augustaTC]

What bothers me most that half the team (now that AEH has departed) sits on the bench midway thru the season. What is the plan B if the top half fails? I did not enjoy at all when UConn trailed most opponents in 4th quarter scoring.

1. ref bench - not much different than any other year 2. what do you reckon the likelihood is the "the top half fails"? Silly comment. 3. Sorry you didn't enjoy it. Not sure where this scoring statistic comes from - "most opponents" ? - but some of this comes from using the bench in garbage time.

 

[Bigboote]

Expectations are an odd thing...last year this team exceeded expectations and could do very little wrong...this year, expectations are so high that the slightest bit of un-UCONN type play raises questions....no worries on my end...

I'm of the same opinion. Last year the Huskies had graduated the first three picks in the WNBA draft, so there were no expectations. All those consecutive victories, the team was going above and beyond. Remember how before this season, there was speculation that the BENCH would be a top-20 team? Many fans have had unrealistic expectations, so anything that's not perfect is now a disappointment.

They're playing good basketball, they're winning, enjoy it. Texas has been jekyll-and-hyde, and jekyll Texas showed up to play last night. Good for them, good for us pulling out a tough victory.

 

[Naples Husky]

I don't think the Uconn second five would beat USF ,UCF this year or Tulane last year.I think they will have trouble with Baylor ,Texas, and some other big Teams . They Beat a Good and almost healthy ND team early on but many of the top teams they defeated have come down in the ratings since the beginning of the season.

 

[Bliss]

Worrying is a function of age to a degree, and some of us here on the BY are a bit long in the tooth.

Nowadays, I worry about my family, my health, a growing list of domestic and global problems and whether UConn’s recent blowout win masked some underlying problem with the team.

When I was younger, my biggest worries were whether or not I had a clean pair of underwear and where to go drinking that night.

Never worry about something over which you have no control.

 

[oldude]

Never worry about something over which you have no control.

If you have control over something there’s no need to worry about it.

 

[dogged1]

If you have control over something there’s no need to worry about it.

So a Vulcan would tell you to never worry?

 

[oldude]

So a Vulcan would tell you to never worry?

Live long and prosper.

 

[Carnac]

I'm of the same opinion. Last year the Huskies had graduated the first three picks in the WNBA draft, so there were no expectations. All those consecutive victories, the team was going above and beyond. Remember how before this season, there was speculation that the BENCH would be a top-20 team? Many fans have had unrealistic expectations, so anything that's not perfect is now a disappointment.

They're playing good basketball, they're winning, enjoy it. Texas has been jekyll-and-hyde, and jekyll Texas showed up to play last night. Good for them, good for us pulling out a tough victory.

Very true. I saw Texas vs LSU in Las Vegas (The South Pointe Shootout) earlier this season. The Longhorns played very uninspired that afternoon, with nowhere near the level of intensity and focus they played with Monday. As you suggest, they played down to the level of their competition that day.

 

[Bronx23]

There's both a social and health difference between constructive criticism and fretful negativism. I used to fret about some of the negative posts and posters, but now I rather constructively point out that they reveal people with greater statistical risk for hypertension, headaches, fibromyalgia, arthritis and other afflictions.

 

[Bronx23]

I think that a few posters made the point that again is so crucial and ingrained in this amazing program.
They are just in many cases repeating the behavior and expectations of the coaching staff. It's no longer about just winning or even winning big, it's about striving for perfection.
I think this is mostly a good thing, except all need to "savor" those special moments for at least a little while, before they move on to the next goal and needed improvement.
From my eyes this win demonstrated some true grit on the teams part, and some excellent play especially from Z, CD and KLS. It also showed some of the teams weaknesses and areas that need improvement and shoring up.
Bronx23

 

[Twolf]

I don't remember ever seeing so much angst over an undefeated, #1 ranked team that's put on so many dominating performances in my life. I really do not get why some see disaster in every missed shot, impending doom in every turnover, and the team's imminent fall from the pinnacle with every narrow 30 point win. It's confounding.

Did these folks watch the games on tv this past week? How many of those other top 10 teams played a perfect game every single time? That's a rhetorical question because none of them did. The UConn team, and all of the teams, are made up of human beings who have good days and bad, just like you and me and every other person on this earth. If we expect them to be perfect every time, well, that's just unreasonable. Yet, invariably UConn fans will freak out if someone makes a mistake. It's stunning to me that we would expect 18-22 year old kids to be more perfect than we are ourselves.

I just don't get it.

It’s obvious that there are others that feel your pain, and don’t get it either. Anyone who has been involved in the field of working with young adults in sports will tell you that if you have, let’s say a 30 game season, you will play lights out great about 4 games, be flat 4 games, and the rest of the season will be somewhere in between. I would categorize the Texas game as one of those in between, and your team, at the end of a road trip, in a hostile environment, against a top ten team, won the game. Celebrate it, congratulate them & move on to the next contest while improving on the flaws you saw from the bench, or on film. Who has done that better than GA and CD in the modern era of women’s
collegiate basketball?

Boards like this are for opinions, no problem there, but for those who are convinced that they have a better idea of, let’s say, managing the bench minutes of a Division 1 basketball program, while you’re at it maybe give the staff some ideas about attacking a match up zone, or how to defend the screen the screener plays, or your thoughts on hedging ball screens versus switching. For those who are convinced that the current staff is mismanaging minutes, and the substitution pattern, I have only one question for you- who do you wish replace them with? You have your choice of any staff in the country. Your team has won 117 of the last 118 games and 99% of the fan bases in the country are envious of your team. Embrace it and enjoy it while you have it- it won’t last forever. JMHO

 

[01Neaggrad02]

Shocking... I actually feel really relaxed this season. If anything I am annoyed when our players are physically injured and there is no call... but with the ND game and again last night I just knew this team could handle the adversity. I knew come the 4th quarter our players would be fresher and better able to handle the flow of the game (unlike Notre Dame who fell apart in the 4th). I would like to see Collier out of her funk. It would be nice if Megan felt more comfortable in the game and/or was not still dealing with her illness from earlier. Seeing her develop will be nice. But overall, feeling good this season. Even if we do not go undefeated I like our chances come April.

 

[Charliebball]

1. ref bench - not much different than any other year 2. what do you reckon the likelihood is the "the top half fails"? Silly comment. 3. Sorry you didn't enjoy it. Not sure where this scoring statistic comes from - "most opponents" ? - but some of this comes from using the bench in garbage time.

never understood why some stat geeks break games down to individual quarters.............I always wait for the loser's press conference where the opposing coach says he/she is proud of their team because they outscored UConn in the fourth quarter...........somehow I never hear a reporter say "but coach you still lost the game by 50 points"!!!