Non-Lady Vol news 2018-19
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Rickster
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I had the same issue trying to figure out something I knew was going to be illiterate and downright stupid, so I put him on ignore. The new ignore feature is much better than the previous one. Now, when you ignore, you don’t see anything at all from the ignoree. No posts, no embedded post replies. It’s like they disappear with the small exception of seeing their name if they submitted a like. I highly recommend it. If you want to relegate someone to irrelevance in your personal world, the new ignore feature is the way to go. It also works great on UConn fans. I’m sure it would work great on me as well so Negas, here you go
Rickster
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Baylor kicked some chickin butt yesterday. Alexia has a nice stat line in Iowa States win over Arkansas. La Tech beat Bama by 17 in a bit of a shocker. Wonder if Napier’s crew flew down and officiated that game after mugging up the Ok State game? Georgia pulls out a close one over Charleston Southern. That’s right, good ole tough Charleston Southern. Candy and Ole Miss lose again.
Volfan2012
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Notre shoots 1 for 12 from the three in their game with Uconn. They will get better would not count them out in the tourney. Ogo had a terrible day maybe UConn decided to pressure her and let the rest of the team try to beat them. UConn only played 6 players and the freshman Williams had a fabulous game. Baylor has a terrific team, and so does Miss St. Not counting us out we have a tremendous ceiling for growth and development. Oregon is terrific gonna be an interesting season.
Volfan2012
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I may be wrong, but I'd rather play UCONN in March than ND. Mabrey still isn't in game shape after sitting out with a leg injury, they're trying to figure out their offense (again) now that Turner is back. Their Freshman back-up PG has also been sidelined with concussion protocol so far. I say if they get everyone back on the same page they're a repeat. UCONN defended them very well, ND looked tired in the fourth. I doubt they'll be 1-12 from three by the time March rolls around. I'm excited for our rematch with them, I think our length matches up well with theirs.
Also looking forward to playing Stanford, curious to see how well we guard them in their Princeton offense, they're still working out some kinks but it is looking pretty good. Same general offense UCONN runs, lots of screening and cutting, going to have to move our feet better or 4 Lady Vols will foul out.
Pat4life
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CoryDallasLV
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Agreed. I still think ND is the best team in the country to will be by March (if they stay healthy). Mabrey still isn't in game shape and neither is Turner. They'll keep getting better. Jordan Nixon also hasn't played they last few games for them due to the concussion protocol, and she was starting while Mabrey was out. ND's big problem this season so far and especially in the game with UConn (besides shooting) is their defense. Muffett has said it all along this season too that their defense has a long way to go to get where she wants it, and that will be their focus. Even against the lesser teams they have given up a lot of points. Once they shore that up and get everybody up to speed, they will be tough to beat. They have a lot of room for improvement just like us and most other teams out their. I don't see much room for improvement for UConn, however. Especially not if they are only going to play 6 players in all big games.
I agree, ND had many of the same problems a year ago, soon as they got their defense lined out and got Mabrey up to speed at the point they were VERY good. I also agree that UCONN has hit a bit of a ceiling, they are built to win a lot of games, but the other top teams have figured them out a little finally.
I think playing in the AAC has hurt them, they have looked dominant early in the season the last few years, then they play a bunch of very inferior teams all through conference play; once the tournament rolls around they have almost forgotten what real physical play against an equally athletic team looks like. The physicality in the tournament the last couple years with both Miss State and ND was problematic for them.
Edit: I also strongly believe playing in the AAC has hurt their recruiting. Haley Jones said as much, she wanted to play for Stanford in the PAC 12 where they play tough competition night in and night out. When UCONN was winning the national championship every year it didn't look so bad, but the last couple years all you see is them steam roll teams by 40 in conference play then lose when it is really crunch time, kinda boring if you ask me.
Everyone likes to bash UCONN's conference. And although they are not the strongest competition, UCONN always has one of the top difficult rated schedules out of all teams difficulty including conference play. I also watched the game as one of the few I have seen. I was not impressed with ND and when the UCONN freshman get more experience, they will be a much better team. Plus KLS did not get a point in the first half which was not normal. So to me, it will be interesting to see them if they do meet again in March on a neutral court.
I believe ND to be one of the teams most likely to get back to the FF and have one of the highest probabilities if not he highest of hoisting up that trophy again. However, Mabrey's fatigue or being tired at the end of the games won't change that's been something that's plagued her her entire career since Muffet asked her to do more ball handling whether she was coming back from injury or not. I don't see that changing for her. She will have help coming though and she is still a bomber and a competitor. Turner is always going to get blown by on the baseline by Collier or anyone from that distance for that matter. UConn played 5 out a good bit because they knew Shepard and Turner (even if she was back in game shape) aren't perimeter defenders but they can certainly hold their own in the paint. That wasn't a fitness issue that was just a good scout and familiarity w/ playing them numerous times. I will admit, with them starting all highly recruited upperclassmen who have been in the system for a while having to work so hard on defense seems a little strange for them but they will figure it out. It's not like she had a bunch of rookies out there. They all know what to do and it was only game 7.
Your statement "I don't see much room for improvement for UConn" strikes me as odd because of what I just mentioned. Notre Dame put 4 seniors and junior on the floor from a championship winning team (Yes Turner is freshly back but knows the system well and she's been a part of tourney run teams before) and you see them improving but you don't see a UConn team with a highly rated freshman and sophomore in the starting line up improving?
As far as playing big minutes, 6 players is old hat for them (both teams actually). They are used that. Muffett even usually only goes as far as 6 to 8 in big games. How many players did it take Muffet to win her last ship or Geno? Just the way it is. I think Miss St played more players in a championship game than I have seen in a while.
Again, I don't understand the ceiling statement based on only playing 7 games so far and having 2 underclassmen in their starting line up. I personally haven't seen enough to say this is as good as they are going to get. I would certainly hope everyone who isn't a senior improves and even the seniors have things they would like to achieve still, so the logic that ND will get better but UCONN is reaching a ceiling doesn't pan out for me. I haven't watched a season (and I watch the entire season every year) where a team has gone from December to April and not gotten better. That's extremely rare for a perennial top team in WCBB because most of the top teams have brought in a high level athlete that year or the year before. Even with bad coaching it generally is going to happen anyway.
Figuring out UCONN is simple. Dawn Staley said it best a couple of years ago before that 1 vs 2 match up when South Carolina was rated number one and was going into Gampel for the first time. It went about the same way the ND game went, although South Carolina bowed out much quicker. She said in a video interview and I'm paraphrasing here: You know what UCONN is going to do, the problem is nobody seems to be able to stop them from doing it. That is exactly it. They aren't a mystery. In fact they're the most predictable team in WCBB, (Other than a JPM lead Duke team not guarding the 3 point line) when it comes to what to expect when you play them. They are just so efficient and most schools lack the combination of talent, coaching, strategy, and effort for 40 minutes to be able to overcome what UCONN does. Even with that being said and some people finally figuring them out they haven't lost a game in regulation since 2013. Of their last 5 losses (which I had to go back to the 2012-13 season to get 5 total losses) 4 of those losses have come in OT. The one non-OT loss was to ND in March 2013. So for figuring them out, the on thing people have learned that I would say is new information, is that if you stay with them for 40 minutes and give yourself a chance in the final seconds you have significantly higher chance of beating them in a 50 minute game as opposed to a 40 minute game.
As far as physicality, that is stylized. That is not tourney specific. It is all about match ups. UCONN and Notre Dame aren't physical teams period, that's not their style. They simply aren't going to foul or shove you around a ton. That type of game produces stoppages in play. Stoppages in play hurt offense and neither team wants that. You know when you play a B12 or SEC team it is going to be physical, however the other P5 conferences aren't particularly physical either. It really is mainly those 2 conferences. Now Miss St, they are certainly physical but beyond that they are a very good defensive team and they take pride in that.
The ACC may have hurt recruiting Haley Jones. I can't say that I saw her quotes about comparing the AAC to the PAC12 so I will take your word on that. I did see her quotes about Stanford being more about academics and that being important to her after these 4 years and the diversity of the campus. "This is more than a four-year decision," Jones said. "The degree means so much, going to Stanford. Having diversity is really important for personal growth," Jones said. "You get to hear all of these different perspectives on important issues discussed in college. It's such an amazing opportunity to be immersed in this community." -http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/article/25394513/no-1-recruit-haley-jones-signs-stanford
The odd thing about the AAC depending on the time of the year opposing fans seem to flip flop on what it does for UCONN. In the summer and fall the AAC according to opposing fans hurts UCONN because of recruiting unless they get who they want and then it's "UCONN gets all the best players", then come spring it's the AAC helps UCONN because they are more rested (completely ignoring the fact that even if you made it to your conference title game and got a tourney bid you'd have a full two weeks off before the NCAAs, again that's if you even made it that far in your conference tourney, if not you have more time than that and ignoring the fact the UCONN players don't loaf on the court, that's kind of their signature, they play the bad teams just as hard as the good ones, that's why their stats don't waiver). People can't make up their minds on that.
In reference to the last couple years, I was at the FF, and I saw my team lose in OT to a buzzer beater TWICE. What is the probability of that happening back to back? I respect your opinion but I would suggest that maybe it's not the "what" that is boring you and may it's the "who". Regardless of my disappointment in the outcome that was some exciting ass basketball, then again I am a fan of the sport overall not just my team. It would be exciting to me no matter who was there. Honestly, the most competitive games I had seen in weeks by the time the end of March had come because all of the top teams steamroll through up until those last couple days. Last year in particular I felt like any of the 4 could have won it. That's what you want that time of year, parity, right? I'm gonna go out on limb and say had Tennessee been in position with seconds left to get back to a championship game you would have been on the edge of your seat. So hopefully you don't mind me challenging that opinion a bit.
Either way I like the conversation started and I am eager to see Oregon in their big game coming up and a few others before conference play starts.
Why are you on a Tennessee board if you're such a huge UCONN fan? My statements are my opinion. No need to get bent out of shape.
I do personally find watching UCONN beat teams by 40 very boring. I believe a lot of other people do as well, which is why women's basketball TV ratings have dropped in the last few years. UCONN gets the most screen time, but it is rarely a good game, who wants to watch that? I'm not saying them being very good is bad for basketball, but I would like to see the best team in WCBB play in a better conference. Wouldn't you? Would be nice to see them tested through the conference season, it builds rivalries (like the ND rivalry) which are good for basketball and viewers.
People like to say they have a rivalry with USF now, but has USF ever won? No. That isn't a rivalry.
And I have never flip flopped on my opinion on them being in the AAC, it feel it hurts them and the sport playing in a sub-standard conference.
So far as physicality is concerned I don't mean pushing and shoving, I mean having to guard someone equally as athletic as you for 40 (or 50) minutes. UCONN plays great defense, but it isn't the same playing against someone from Tulsa vs. an elite level athlete that can blow by you.
If it isn't the who then why do WCBB ratings continue to drop? People get tired of the same story line year after year.
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ksl415
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And they will enter the tournament unbeaten again, because they play in a weak conference. Yes they play a very tough OOC schedule, but not playing in a competitive conference allows you to spend more time game planning for your big games. When they have SMU or Houston Wednesday and Louisville on a Sunday, who do you think they're talking about all week? Other teams do not have that luxury.
Not the case in the ACC, PAC-12 or any other power 5 conference really. Oregon might have the number 10 team in the country on Wednesday as a regular conference match-up and then the number 5 team on a Sunday in an OOC game. Requires way more mental and physical toughness and you do end up losing some games.
Who I root for doesn't determine my dedication to the whole sport and who I choose to have knowledgeable basketball conversations with. There may have been a time in my life where that was the case, however, I now feel mature enough to have conversations with people I may not agree with in a civil manner about sports. I have friends on multiple WCBB forums. I contribute on about 10 of them (Baylor, Oklahoma, UCLA, Stanford, Notre Dame, Duke, South Carolina, Ohio State, Maryland, and this one). I'm not bent out of shape and said I respected your opinion and was trying to have a friendly discussion. I will reiterate, my suspicion was that your issue was with the who and not the what. I was inquiring whether you'd watch a Tennessee blow out or not.
I'm not sure who is saying UCONN and USF are rivals. They are obviously the best two in their conference but rivals, no. I don't know a knowledgeable WCBB fan who would say that.
As far as ratings go I will say this. Interest & demographics. You hinted at it in your original statement with "Why are you on a Tennessee board if you're such a huge UCONN fan?" That is the mindset of the casual WCBB fan. They don't watch or buy tickets for other teams outside of their own. Usually thy will maybe watch a conference game and not even the whole thing and that's about it. There are very few followers of the sport. Let me say that again.. THE SPORT. There are obviously large pockets of followers of a school or a team but the sport itself isn't a draw. It has nothing to do with UCONN. There are 364 D1 teams and now a days nearly all games are streamed either online or are on TV somewhere. UCONN plays on average 35 games a year w/ the vast majority going online and SNY. That means there is likely 10k games to watch in a season if you like the sport. You're telling me people across the nation are going to not watch their team because UConn is playing and killing someone? UConn's games on the major networks are usually vs a ranked opponent w/ the exception of the first 2 or 3 rounds of the tourney which they can't help who they draw. How many non-Tennessee, non-SEC games are you watching? You get what I'm saying? It doesn't add up.
The point I'm trying to make is I had this exact conversation on the Baylor forum a while ago. Many think they are WCBB fans but they really aren't. They are just a fan of their school. If you only watch your school and no other teams. You don't love the sport you love that team. That's okay but don't call yourself a WCBB fan say you're a UConn fan or a Baylor or a Kentucky or whoever fan.
That's why I find it hilarious when someone says UConn is the reason the ratings are bad then you find out they don't know a damn thing about the sport as a whole because they have only been watching 1 team or 1 conference play for 10 years. How on earth are you going to say anything about the sport as a whole when you haven't seen it? Furthermore, if you as a supposed WCBB fan are only watching one team how then would you expect as fan for the sport to grow if you don't even watch other teams yourself but you want others to? It makes no sense.
People need to understand the demographic in which the sport appeals to first, then understand how that demographic interacts within that industry. WCBB doesn't have a large number of fans as a whole. It instead has pockets of fans dedicated either to a certain team/region/or conference. The NCAA needs to build on that and go from there. You can't force nation wide acceptance. You take what you are given and spend your resources there.
I agree UCONN plays great defense, but it isn't the same playing against someone from Tulsa vs. an elite level athlete that can blow by you. Sure I would want them in a better conference and I'm sure if they had a choice in the matter they would move out of the AAC. Just like those who shout, "I back Pat and roll with Holly" I made the decision to be a UCONN fan in 2004 and haven't looked back.
I'm sure people do get tired of the same story line especially when it's not their team. Unfortunately, its up to the stewards of the sport (the coaches) to rise to the occasion on that and deepen the pool of teams that a can compete. Also it's up to the media to showcase others. I would love it if they didn't write a story about UCONN for a whole year and let them do what they do. Wouldn't bother me one bit. As it stands that isn't happening. You can bank on maybe 8 really good teams year in and year out in WCBB. That's the way it goes.
Like I said for me it's about the conversation. I appreciate a person who supports the sport no matter who they root for. I just like to pick people's brains when they say something I truly don't understand. Hopefully you aren't taking that as me being mean or whatever. I've had plenty of good conversations here.
They had a similar recruiting year the year they got Saniya Chong and the sky was falling then, and then it wasn't. Didn't Tennessee have a tough recruiting year a couple classes ago? Same for a few others South Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio State? For whatever reason WCBB fans have real short memories when it comes to recruiting. Recruiting goes in cycles for UCONN just like every other school.
I agree, they were also self reported, seemed like a non issue to me. And the grades thing, who cares, as long as the athlete completed the necessary work to improve her grade why does it matter when she did it? Extensions are commonplace in college as the professor said, he would have done it whether she was an athlete or not and wasn't even aware that she was.
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