HOF tournament thoughts

[doggydaddy]

Looking ahead to next season, the problem is magnified.
The conference loses its two best teams, leaving conference play to resemble this week's mismatches.

You mean behind Uconn, so it's the 2nd and 3rd best team.

Let's wait a little while before we anoint RU the 3rd best. They have a loss to a weak UMass team, who lost to Central Michigan by 44.

How many conference games were like this past weekend LAST year?

It's easier to count the conference games that weren't.

 

[boontonbomber]

Looking ahead to next season, the problem is magnified.
UConn's recruiting class is already off the charts with the possibility of complete recruit-domination.

And:
The conference loses its two best teams, leaving conference play to resemble this week's mismatches.

Perhaps The U should consider the proposal I made on another thread: Only schedule Non-conference games against the best teams; home and home permitted, even encouraged. I certainly would not object to two ND and two UTenn. and ESPN would be thrilled.
Probably good for the game.

Forget about the lesser programs in OOC; too bad for Jen and the others but if we continue our normal scheduling, next season may be brutal. And something along the lines of my suggestion will be required for the following (potentially equally dominate)
season.

even if uconn could pick up a couple more top 25 type teams, that would help. as of recent rankings, this season's schedule includes only 6 of the top 25. i think that's a low number. seems like from the rest of that top 25 others could be scheduled. in and out of the top 25 there are teams like virginia, lsu, georgia, vanderbilt, texas, kentucky,oklahoma, south carolina, iowa st., michigan, and on and on. some we've played in the past, some not. and what's going to happen with some of the old rivalries? a holiday tournament with uconn, nd, depaul and rutgers would be quite the draw. can it be such a big deal to get a few more of the better teams on the schedule each year? i think that's all that some of the people here asking.

 

[boontonbomber]

The Horde. Sometimes from the teams local write-ups. Sometimes the announcers have talked to the players. Different places.

next time you see a specific example of a player being quoted i would love to be alerted.

 

[boontonbomber]

Well that's kind of on you then. Because many of us here do see the value. Geno sees the value. The other coaches seem to see the value. There seem to just be a few of you who don't. hmmmm?

c'mon, what else do you really expect the coaches to say?

 

[UConnCat]

Funny how some here think it's so easy to schedule other top 25 teams. What makes you think those teams are willing to schedule UConn? As long as UConn and its fans want it it'll just happen, right?

Maybe some here can write to corporate sponsors and ESPN and get them to put together some elite tournaments like the men had in Chicago earlier this month.

 

[doggydaddy]

even if uconn could pick up a couple more top 25 type teams, that would help. as of recent rankings, this season's schedule includes only 6 of the top 25. i think that's a low number. seems like from the rest of that top 25 others could be scheduled. in and out of the top 25 there are teams like virginia, lsu, georgia, vanderbilt, texas, kentucky,oklahoma, south carolina, iowa st., michigan, and on and on. some we've played in the past, some not. and what's going to happen with some of the old rivalries? a holiday tournament with uconn, nd, depaul and rutgers would be quite the draw. can it be such a big deal to get a few more of the better teams on the schedule each year? i think that's all that some of the people here asking.

You make it seem like all Geno has to do is snap his fingers and teams will play them.

2012-13 6 top 25 OOC games
2011-12 5
2010-11 6
2009-10 6
2008-9 2
2007-8 4

It's a pretty normal year compared to the last 4.

 

[Forty_four]

ERIC:
"Really, the only solution, is for UCONN to be less good. We saw top 10 Maryland struggle with a cupcake Drexel. last night. Tennessee has struggled with many unranked teams in the first half. Stanford won a close one over unranked Texas. Louisville needed OT to beat unranked FSU. ND is the only top team I can think of who hasn't won a game by less than 20 except for beating #19 MSU by 19 points".

I will take a game against Texas or Flor State any day of the week, versus games against Monmouth and St Bonnies. They are in BCS conferences with big budgets and are the types of teams that are expected to be somewhat competitive vs UConn. Not mid majors trying to keep their head above water to survive a UConn beat down.

You seriously don't understand why a clearly overmatched team would want to play against the best WCBB team on the planet? Or why their players wouldn't relish the chance to do the same? It's obvious, then, why you aren't a coach (or a player).

I have coached and still play a competitve sport (not BasketBall) and will always accept a competitve challenge, and I will play hard till the final out. But never would I want to play any one the is that superior to me where the outcome is decided before the game is play and then the game is validated with a trouncing. I accept why UConn plays these games but the victim is doing it for a nice payday. The opposing coaches are saying all the politically correct things but if you were to get them alone, I bet they regret playing the actual game.

 

[UConnCat]

You make it seem like all Geno has to do is snap his fingers and teams will play them.

Don't you know that's how it works. I understand UConn tried to schedule UCLA next year while it's on the west coast (vs Stanford and UC Davis) and as a homecoming game for KML but the available dates don't work for UCLA. Oh well.

 

[cohenzone]

Well that's kind of on you then. Because many of us here do see the value. Geno sees the value. The other coaches seem to see the value. There seem to just be a few of you who don't. hmmmm?

I think Geno sees that he can't schedule all that many games against even decent competition because there aren't that many that can stay within 20 points, let alone make him sweat the last possession. He does have to fill out a schedule. Now he has a bigger problem with the nature of the new league. ND is already gone and LVille and Rutgers are about to leave. St Johns, GTown and WV are already gone, teams that gave us the occasional good game. The new league seems to have fewer teams in that category. As we have seen, teams like the Bonnies and UHart, good within their league, are many steps down the ladder. I really think he doesn't see a lot of value in playing those teams, certainly not that many of them, and for some of them willing to play us, it is one of the rare games that has some monetary value for them. I guarantee you that if folks here were not UConn fans, these games would have zero meaning as a basketball game. Yes, we play really pretty basketball against these teams, but I don't think it particularly advances the team's competitive ability to play a string of them.

The team looks to be a game winning machine for at least the next few years. I agree that this is not UConn's fault, but it is a problem in terms of fan interest in the game. Geno will not stop trying to recruit top talent, and a lot of top kids will want to play for him. What continues to strike me is how willing a lot of schools are to retain mediocre women's team coaches where they never would for the men. Whether that's because there aren't that many good women's coaches, I don't know. All I know is that guys like Bruno, Perreta and Landry get attention but not that much success relative to their supposed coaching ability.

 

[meyers7]

next time you see a specific example of a player being quoted i would love to be alerted.

I'll try to remember.

 

[meyers7]

I bet they regret playing the actual game.

I bet they don't.

 

[baggerbob]

The one thing that all the players on the other teams will take away from this is they played UConn. Thirty or forty years down the road they can tell their grandchildren, they played against UConn with Stef, Moriah, Brianna, and Stewie. It won't make any difference that they lost, just the fact they had the opportunity to play.

 

[msf22b]

Noting the difficulties and not disagreeing with the problems re: scheduling more competitive OOC games.

1. Funny that last summer's conclave did not produce discussions along this line.
2. ESPN and the other networks surely would favor a bunch of potentially more interesting games.
3. Surely is good for the game
4. It's possible that some deep pocketed corp or individul could ante up to offer hesitant teams an incentive.

Or 5. the craziest thought of all: Again a deep pocketed individual or group creates the UConn Woman's BB network to encompass 4 (above) and bring the game before a national audience on a regular basis.

 

[UConnCat]

Doug Feinberg ‏@DougFeinberg 25 Nov
So Top 25 went 43-1 this week with @OU_WBBall the lone loss. Take them out and the average margin of victory 31 points #lackofparity

 

[doggydaddy]

Doug Feinberg ‏@DougFeinberg 25 Nov
So Top 25 went 43-1 this week with @OU_WBBall the lone loss. Take them out and the average margin of victory 31 points #lackofparity

That's because none of them played Uconn this week.

 

[pap49cba]

next time you see a specific example of a player being quoted i would love to be alerted.

Apparently you missed this earlier thread. Yeah, this poor kid was devastated by the experience of a Uconn beat-down.

LINK

 

[boontonbomber]

Funny how some here think it's so easy to schedule other top 25 teams. What makes you think those teams are willing to schedule UConn? As long as UConn and its fans want it it'll just happen, right?

Maybe some here can write to corporate sponsors and ESPN and get them to put together some elite tournaments like the men had in Chicago earlier this month.

where did you read that some here think that it's easy to schedule these games? obviously none of the scheduling is easy, but there are a whole bunch of teams out there who are real division 1 teams, unlike monmouth , for example. it has never been proven to me that these better teams wouldn't like a shot at uconn.

 

[boontonbomber]

Apparently you missed this earlier thread. Yeah, this poor kid was devastated by the experience of a Uconn beat-down.

LINK

yep, there is one. thanks.

 

[jsloanjr]

I disagree that these type games do not teach these teams any lessons. They learned that things they can get away with in their leagues, do not work against UCONN. They need to play their "A" game for 40 minutes or the score gets lopsided very quickly. THis will be the toughest game they play all year and their coaches can use the game film to teach and that is what its all about...........Plus, $$$$$.....

 

[boontonbomber]

You make it seem like all Geno has to do is snap his fingers and teams will play them.

2012-13 6 top 25 OOC games
2011-12 5
2010-11 6
2009-10 6
2008-9 2
2007-8 4

It's a pretty normal year compared to the last 4.

thanks for the info. to me it means that year after year uconn is not playing enough top 25 teams.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I always liked playing against better competition. Even if I got beat. I imagine most competitive players would feel the same. They really like to test themselves. And geez what competitors wouldn't want to test themselves against the best??

Meyers - I think most competitors like to test themselves. There is nothing wrong with losing to the better team. However, in the case of the games we watched this weekend there was no competition at all, just Christians and lions. They didn't even have a snowball's chance.

As for the players I don't think they like a pre ordained, televised ass kicking one bit - would you?

 

[doggydaddy]

LVille and Rutgers are about to leave. St Johns, GTown and WV are already gone, teams that gave us the occasional good game.

I guess it depends on what occasional means.

thanks for the info. to me it means that year after year uconn is not playing enough top 25 teams.

Sorry, but that is just BS.

First of all, they play more top 25 teams than almost every team in the country.

Second, if you want to see more competitive games, you won't find it outside of the top 5.

 

[UConnCat]

where did you read that some here think that it's easy to schedule these games? obviously none of the scheduling is easy, but there are a whole bunch of teams out there who are real division 1 teams, unlike monmouth , for example. it has never been proven to me that these better teams wouldn't like a shot at uconn.

Instead of demanding proof from others (as you are wont to do), why not prove your point. Do some research and identify the "whole bunch of teams" that have asked to play UConn and been denied for the sole reason that UConn doesn't want to play them. How many top 25 teams do you think UConn should play in a given season? Should UConn play any teams that don't demand a home-and-home agreement? Better yet, why not send an email to Deb Corum at UConn and ask her why UConn doesn't put together a tougher schedule. Again, do some investigating and report back to the board.

 

[cohenzone]

I guess it depends on what occasional means.

2001-02

Once every 7 years. Occasional might also mean they didn't fall behind by double digits until 13.32 minutes were left in the game.

 

[doggydaddy]

So, every 7 years a team like Virginia MIGHT give UConn a good game?

How do you suggest they schedule them? Guess when Virginia might be good? Will you complain about scheduling them if they suck that year?

They guessed wrong in 2006-7. UConn won 96-60. And 2007-8. UConn won 88-38. I believe they haven't played since.

What do you think the score would be this year? Or St. Johns? Or Gtown? Heck, I'm not convinced about ND without Diggins. How would they do next year (I'm hoping they schedule them) against ND? McBride and Achonwa will be gone as well.

My point is that there aren't many teams that would give UConn a good game.