Which team has the best chance to stop UCONN from four consecutive NC

[jennyo70]

I get a look at our team on October 31. I expect we might have some early growing pains. However, I think we may surprise people come tourney time. We are very, very young, no doubt. We still may be a year away, but, I'm not counting us out of a trip to Indy this year.

 

[CocoHusky]

Don't sleep on Baylor. They have a complete team and a really good coach who have won it all. I still see UConn winning it all but Baylor can beat South Carolina, Notre Dame and Tennessee. Louisville may be one year away and Maryland is two years away. Duke always have talent but they need to get past the Elite 8 for once.

Baylor is a good team but against UCONN they would have some horrible matchup problems. Assuming a Jones & Johnson Baylor backcourt where Jones guards Jefferson then Niya is giving up 4 inches to Kia Nurse or 7 inches to KLS. Davis is a lock for a forward spot and a good player but same disadvantage 5 inches to Stewie and 3 inches and a whole lot of skill to Morgan Tuck. The other Baylor candidate for starting at SF/Guard is Prince again good player but who is she going to guard? Baylor could choose to go big and start 2 of Brown, Higgins, or Mompremier to negate UCONN size advantage but then the UCONN skill advantage would be amplified. I think Baylor goes in the category of 1 year away-the Post-Stewie era.

 

[UcMiami]

I won't guess who but I will say that if it were to happen it would be in the semi-final game. I have a theory about that. UConn has played in 12 final fours in the last 15 years. They won 8 NC's and lost 4 times. All of the losses came in the semi-final game, three times to Notre Dame and once to Stanford. And as we all know, UConn is undefeated in the NC game. My theory is that to beat UConn a team needs a week to prepare, and a coach who is a great strategist. UConn is never a mystery as to what they will do. Geno is a coach who doesn't come up with novel plays or gimmick defenses. You know what they will do and Geno dares you to stop it. McGraw and Vanderveer have each done it. But in a national final UConn's opponents have essentially one day to get ready and no one has managed to accomplish that trick.

So if you want to beat UConn, catch them in the semi-final but keep in mind that the last 3 teams to do it lost the final.

Geno has also said that he has taken teams to the final four that were not ready to win a national championship, but he has never taken a team into the NC game that wasn't ready to win it.
If you look at the teams that lost the semi-finals since 2000:
2001 - reliant on a freshman DT after injury to two senior AA players
2008 - reliant on freshman Maya and Sophomore Tina (who had yet to get it) after senior Mel and junior Kalana go out with injuries
2011 - reliant on freshman Bria and Stef and Soph Faris after CD is lost during the summer and Walker transfers mid season
2012 - reliant on freshman KML and sophs Bria and Stef

2001 stands out as a year where the majority of starters were upperclassmen even after the injuries, and Geno has said that that loss is on him - the one that got away.
We always look at what DT did in 2003 as being amazing, because she took this very young team all the way, but she had a lot of help from two 3rd year players Maria and Jessica Moore who never get enough credit. That team had three players starting who had already both lost and won at the final four (Jessica wasn't actually playing in 2001, but she was a red shirt who experienced that year emotionally.) DT was the reason they won, but without MC and JM she couldn't have done it.

 

[ricky]

Regardless of the choice here, no team will come close to preventing another NC. No one mentions Collier. She will end up being the surprise glue that solidifies this team

 

[Nuyoika]

The team with the best offensive balance, defensive tenacity, that doesn't shy away from the big moments, is extremely consistent, has paramount coaching and can guard UConn's starting 5 one on one without liability has the best chance to beat them in April. I'm not sure who fits that mold other than UConn themselves at this point, but I cannot wait for the season to start to see what the challengers look like.

 

[blaqtech]

South Florida

 

[SallyH]

What an amazing thread! We have fans from every major WCBB team expressing why they think their team has a chance to win the championship, from every conference and ZERO flaming. Astonishing! Major props to the moderators who have worked hard to keep the conversation to basketball.

 

[BlueDevils]

Florida State, Baylor, Notre Dame. In that order.

 

[cbraarj]

I'd have to say South Carolina

They wont even beat Tennessee this year!SC was better last year.Welch the only one to play well against the Huskies and if she didn't UConn would have won by 35 or 40.

 

[j66kicker]

Notre Dame is most likely. There are a couple others with enough talent to potentially do it - SC & TN, maybe Baylor. But ND is simply better coached than the others.

 

[Kaizen]

Stewie, Tuck and Butler will dominate the defense.
Moriah, Nurse, Stewie and Tuck will dominate the offense.
Not likely any team will beat us ......

 

[Nuyoika]

They wont even beat Tennessee this year!SC was better last year.Welch the only one to play well against the Huskies and if she didn't UConn would have won by 35 or 40.

I think SCar and TN will play twice this year. I do not think SCar will win both games. That is bout as far of an assumption I can make this early.

 

[cbraarj]

Florida State because UCONN will be amped up for the usual suspects (South Carolina, Notre Dame, MD, Louisville) during the tournament. Florida State might just learn enough from the regular season meeting to surprise UCONN come tournament time.

I agree Florida State plays physical and never quits.Uconn will win by at least 20 up here but can learn from playing them early!

 

[JS]

What an amazing thread! We have fans from every major WCBB team expressing why they think their team has a chance to win the championship, from every conference and ZERO flaming. Astonishing! Major props to the moderators who have worked hard to keep the conversation to basketball.

Sally, I think I'll post that one on the wall in the moderators' lunch room.

Well, we don't really have a lunch room, but if we did your comments would be on the bulletin board.

Board policy has always favored civil discussion and disfavored personal attacks and insults. In recent times we've made it a "point of emphasis" to bolster that policy in two areas: (1) treatment of visitors, and (2) treatment of those expressing "negative" opinions.

This will always, by its natural gravitational pull, be a place with a significant UConn fan majority, and it will always be a place in which civil disagreements provide essential interest and energy.

With those parameters, there's always room for improvement. Not everyone will like the process as things evolve. That's natural, as is the almost subliminal process by which people choose where they like to visit.

We do appreciate the appreciation for what we've been trying to achieve. Thanks.

 

[cbraarj]

I think SCar and TN will play twice this year. I do not think SCar will win both games. That is bout as far of an assumption I can make this early.

If DD makes the other players better and Warlick has them playing like a team.Tenn. IMO the Vols will be better.Deshields can carry ateam also.Something they haven't had since Parker.

 

[stwainfan]

If DD makes the other players better and Warlick has them playing like a team.Tenn. IMO the Vols will be better.Deshields can carry ateam also.Something they haven't had since Parker.

Diamond has the talent. If she stays healthy and three years. She can be one of the best to play at Tennessee.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Diamond has the talent. If she stays healthy and three years

"If she stays healthy...." Is she healthy? According to her a week or so ago she could only practice "in spurts." Does anyone know the straight skinny on her health from a reliable public source?

 

[stwainfan]

"If she stays healthy...." Is she healthy? According to her a week or so ago she could only practice "in spurts." Does anyone know the straight skinny on her health from a reliable public source?

I haven't seen anything official. Practice did start today. Haven't seen any reports yet.

 

[Buckaroobanzai]

Tennessee. Diamond DeShields demonstrated @ UNC that she was good enough to "will" her team to win. When the tournament rolls around, DD will lead Tennessee to challenge Uconn for the NCAA championship. She will, of course, fail.

 

[CocoHusky]

"If she stays healthy...." Is she healthy? According to her a week or so ago she could only practice "in spurts." Does anyone know the straight skinny on her health from a reliable public source?

The last report I indicated there were 3 Lady Vol players battling through injuries which impacted thier ability to play on the tour of Italy. Diamond-shin splints, Graves-shoulder, Carter-knee.
http://www.knoxnews.com/govolsxtra/...mond-deshields-from-playing-in-italy_10420796

 

[stwainfan]

I think the key to Tennessee season is Russell.

 

[HGN]

Florida State because UCONN will be amped up for the usual suspects (South Carolina, Notre Dame, MD, Louisville) during the tournament. Florida State might just learn enough from the regular season meeting to surprise UCONN come tournament time.

CoCo , I like your , and some of the other posters rationale , but you all have it wrong...........The best team with a chance to stop UConn from winning four consecutive NC's is.............(drum roll).......UCONN!!

Granted , there are any number of good teams out there , USC (east) ; Fla. St.; ND ; Ohio St. ; Tenn. ; Md. ; etc......But none of them have what UCONN has in experience , talent , coaching , and depth. UCONN may lose a game during the regular season just like they did last year. And still win it all.
I don't think anyone of the aforementioned teams can stop UCONN if the Huskies play up to their full potential.

So in my mind , as feeble as it might be , the ONLY team out there that can stop UCONN from winning four consecutive NC's is UCONN itself..........Some of the other teams might make it close . But this is WCBB we are talking about here......... Not horseshoes.

 

[cbraarj]

Tennessee. Diamond DeShields demonstrated @ UNC that she was good enough to "will" her team to win. When the tournament rolls around, DD will lead Tennessee to challenge Uconn for the NCAA championship. She will, of course, fail.

If I remember correctly in her freshmen year North Carolina beat South Carolina twice!Knocked them out of the NCAA Tournament.

 

[SWHuskyFan]

CoCo , I like your , and some of the other posters rationale , but you all have it wrong......The best team with a chance to stop UConn from winning four consecutive NC's is...(drum roll)..UCONN!!

Granted , there are any number of good teams out there , USC (east) ; Fla. St.; ND ; Ohio St. ; Tenn. ; Md. ; etc.But none of them have what UCONN has in experience , talent , coaching , and depth. UCONN may lose a game during the regular season just like they did last year. And still win it all.
I don't think anyone of the aforementioned teams can stop UCONN if the Huskies play up to their full potential.

So in my mind , as feeble as it might be , the ONLY team out there that can stop UCONN from winning four consecutive NC's is UCONN itself.....Some of the other teams might make it close . But this is WCBB we are talking about here.... Not horseshoes.

To me the mostly likely scenario for a UConn loss in the post season is what happened to Maya her senior year or Griner. Some team sets about a game plan to play Stewie rough, the refs allow it and Stewie doesn't handle it well. Think this team has enough weapons to handle an off night from Stewie against most teams, but you never know.

 

[UcMiami]

To me the mostly likely scenario for a UConn loss in the post season is what happened to Maya her senior year or Griner. Some team sets about a game plan to play Stewie rough, the refs allow it and Stewie doesn't handle it well. Think this team has enough weapons to handle an off night from Stewie against most teams, but you never know.

When you look at this team for Uconn, always anticipating health as with every other team as well, the difference between it and every Uconn team that hasn't won an NC is the depth of experience:
Breanna, Moriah, and Morgan as senior/fourth year players is a good starting point and they have experienced 3 FFs
Saniya and Natalie as 3rd year players plus Kia as a very 'old' 2nd year player because of her international experience winning two tournaments this summer as MVP

You add to that two more sophomores and three great freshman to fill in gaps and this team is on paper awfully good. Breanna can have an off night and this team can still roll over anybody. I would almost say that Morgan and Moriah might be more essential as I think they are more of the leaders of the team, allowing Stewart to just do her thing.