Muffet says....

[pap49cba]

Wendy Parker @wparker · 20m 20 minutes ago
After unbeaten run to NCAA title game, @ndwbb's @MuffetMcGraw says Irish will "take some lumps early." #ACCmediaday



Wendy Parker @wparker · 20m 20 minutes ago
McGraw: "We expect to be ready in March but we're going to arrive there differently." #ACCmediaday

 

[j66kicker]

December 6, specifically.

 

[EricLA]

I really do like Muffett. I was disappointed at the whole "Geno is a mean guy" thing from last year, but I think for the most part she does things the right way and is a terrific coach. I'm not familiar enough with her style to know if she's saying that to motivate her team and if she thinks they will be undefeated, or if she feels this team will struggle during the regular season. I'm not sure I see any team out there other than UCONN that i believe is better than ND, so I wonder if she really thinks her team will lose some games, or if those games will simply be more ugly and closer than most ND fans might like...

 

[j66kicker]

I really do like Muffett. I was disappointed at the whole "Geno is a mean guy" thing from last year, but I think for the most part she does things the right way and is a terrific coach. I'm not familiar enough with her style to know if she's saying that to motivate her team and if she thinks they will be undefeated, or if she feels this team will struggle during the regular season. I'm not sure I see any team out there other than UCONN that i believe is better than ND, so I wonder if she really thinks her team will lose some games, or if those games will simply be more ugly and closer than most ND fans might like...

I doubt she has any expectation to lose any games, including to UCONN. But it's a CYA hedge, and also one of those "poor us - we lost our senior leadership to graduation" press statements. Blah blah blah, blah blah blah....

 

[Orangutan]

I really do like Muffett. I was disappointed at the whole "Geno is a mean guy" thing from last year, but I think for the most part she does things the right way and is a terrific coach. I'm not familiar enough with her style to know if she's saying that to motivate her team and if she thinks they will be undefeated, or if she feels this team will struggle during the regular season. I'm not sure I see any team out there other than UCONN that i believe is better than ND, so I wonder if she really thinks her team will lose some games, or if those games will simply be more ugly and closer than most ND fans might like...

Well...she said that the ACC "wasn't easy" last year and ND only played two single-digit games, so "lumps" might simply be close games in her mind.

Anyhow, it's consistent with what she's been saying all pre-season about how young the team is. I'm guessing it's part motivation, part genuine expectation.

 

[Beemer]

Coaches do this a lot, tempering expectations in case things don't go the way they hoped or planned. Last year ND made it all the way to the national championship final. This year apparently there are a lot of youngsters on her squad so getting that far might not be possible. If they do, great. If they don't, Muffet warned that this might be the case.

 

[Striper69]

I'm looking foward to watching Jewell Loyd play this season.

 

[caramel]

I know of no coach,including our Connecticut head coach,who would say we are going to win every game and beat up on them all.Every coach,I know of,has some reservations about their team,no matter how talented or experienced that they are.
However,I see much improvement in the Atlantic Coast Conference,and Notre Dame may struggle,even lose,a game or two inside conference play.So,her making a statement that there may be bumps in the road to the tournament(s),may not be anything more than what she perceives as possibly happening.
The hardest thing to predict,is whether freshmen will excel in your program,if they will mature quickly,if they will adjust to their team mates,and if they will understand the hard work that goes into a successful season.
Notre Dame will,as usual,be a very good team,but so will others,like Duke.
It will be an interesting season,as to seeing who steps up,who slides back,and who eventually comes out on top.

 

[connboy77]

I really do like Muffett. I was disappointed at the whole "Geno is a mean guy" thing from last year, but I think for the most part she does things the right way and is a terrific coach. I'm not familiar enough with her style to know if she's saying that to motivate her team and if she thinks they will be undefeated, or if she feels this team will struggle during the regular season. I'm not sure I see any team out there other than UCONN that i believe is better than ND, so I wonder if she really thinks her team will lose some games, or if those games will simply be more ugly and closer than most ND fans might like...

Possibly South Carolina too!

 

[HoopsFan21]

I know of no coach,including our Connecticut head coach,who would say we are going to win every game and beat up on them all.Every coach,I know of,has some reservations about their team,no matter how talented or experienced that they are.

But Geno did say it last year. "If we play our A-game, no one will beat us." And he was right as he often is, even if it comes off as arrogant. Geno has never been shy about admitting that he has the best team. He said so on the post-game last year after the championship game when he said "we win titles because we come here with the best team, so we should win. And if we don't, then I have to hear it from her [Rebecca Lobo], she's on the board of trustees, and every time we lose I get a call: 'we're not gonna put up with this' she says."

I doubt she has any expectation to lose any games, including to UCONN. But it's a CYA hedge, and also one of those "poor us - we lost our senior leadership to graduation" press statements. Blah blah blah, blah blah blah....

Hopefully we don't hear that kind of defeatist attitude out of Geno who lost his senior leadership to the 6th and 7th draft picks in the WNBA.

 

[Fightin Choke]

Coaches do this a lot, tempering expectations in case things don't go the way they hoped or planned. Last year ND made it all the way to the national championship final. This year apparently there are a lot of youngsters on her squad so getting that far might not be possible. If they do, great. If they don't, Muffet warned that this might be the case.

No, I think you misinterpreted her remarks. She said ND was young so they might start out slowly (Irish will take some lumps early), but she also said "We expect to be ready in March but we're going to arrive there differently." From combining those remarks, I believe she's maintaining high expectations (deep tournament run) but is cautioning that early set-backs may occur (a few losses along the way during the regular season).

 

[Fightin Choke]

But Geno did say it last year. "If we play our A-game, no one will beat us." And he was right as he often is, even if it comes off as arrogant. Geno has never been shy about admitting that he has the best team. He said so on the post-game last year after the championship game when he said "we win titles because we come here with the best team, so we should win. And if we don't, then I have to hear it from her [Rebecca Lobo], she's on the board of trustees, and every time we lose I get a call: 'we're not gonna put up with this' she says."

I believe what caramel wrote is more accurate than your interpretation. Geno saying the bolded statement above is not him asserting that UConn will not lose a game but rather that if UConn plays as well as they are capable of playing, then they will win every game. There's a big difference there.

Hopefully we don't hear that kind of defeatist attitude out of Geno who lost his senior leadership to the 6th and 7th draft picks in the WNBA.

I truly believe that no matter what Muffet said, you would find fault in it. So she says that because we are young, we may take some lumps along the way, but we'll be ready in March, and you deride that statement as defeatist. So would you have been pleased had she written that Notre Dame will defeat all the teams on their schedule? Because I'm betting UConn fans would call that boast arrogant, delusional, and baseless.

As far as UConn's losses to graduation, they were certainly heavy, but I would argue that Notre Dame's losses to graduation -- 3 starters including WNBA picks #3 and #9 (despite being injured) -- were even more devastating, especially when one considers the relative talent on the 2 rosters. It's sort of like playing chess against someone who has several more pieces on the board than you and you start sacrificing rook for rook, knight for knight, etc. Typically not a good strategy to pursue.

 

[Beemer]

No, I think you misinterpreted her remarks. She said ND was young so they might start out slowly (Irish will take some lumps early), but she also said "We expect to be ready in March but we're going to arrive there differently." From combining those remarks, I believe she's maintaining high expectations (deep tournament run) but is cautioning that early set-backs may occur (a few losses along the way during the regular season).

Oh OK I didn't see it that way at first but I do now. Thanks for clarifying it for me.

 

[Hongster]

I used to like her but no more. She's an't nothing but a manipulative snake.

 

[geneticrex]

Her attempt to play her little victim game last year with Geno was pathetic, as was ND's coordinated response to Stewart's post season accolades.

I have zero respect for Muffet McGraw.

 

[meyers7]

I used to like her but no more. She's an't nothing but a manipulative snake.

But how do you really feel about her?

 

[Uhuru]

I used to like her but no more. She's an't nothing but a manipulative snake.

First post. I had to get an account to say that you have slandered snakes everywhere.

 

[Hongster]

Her attempt to play her little victim game last year with Geno was pathetic, as was ND's coordinated response to Stewart's post season accolades.

I have zero respect for Muffet McGraw.

Here's the answer why I don't like Muffet.

Oh! one more thing. She tried to kiss up to Pat S. just before the NC game in an attempt to win the local volunteer fans.

"Be true to your heart or karma is going to get you"

 

[Hongster]

But how do you really feel about her?

She's a coward.

 

[triaddukefan]

 

[DaddyChoc]

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I've lost a lot of respect for Muffett McGraw the last 4 to 5 years with comments, reactions, and the woe-is-me persona!
I had heard this during an in-season ND game 2 years ago with Stephanie White and Beth Mowens (sp?) SW said in an early season game she had covered ND was winning by 30+ and with about 10 minutes left Muffett said to S. Diggins to not press anymore and Diggins said no they'll keep pressing and they did and won by 40+ and opposing coach was pissed and said something to MM in post game line!
Watching the MM / SD dynamic play out over 4 years, IMO MM let SD run the show to not upset her "star"!