Motto: We've Earned Everything

[iamcbs]

Chong showed nothing down the stretch last year that would lead one to believe that she is ready and poised for a drastic change in her game. Just because she is now a sophomore doesn't mean that her game is going to change all of a sudden. Jefferson showed signs throughout the 2nd half of her freshman and especially down the stretch that showed that she was starting to come into her own. I have seen none of that from Chong yet. I am willing to bet that by the end of the year that both Williams(if healthy) and Ekmark will both see more playing time than Chong.

Well practice starts on Wednesday, so we won't have to wait long to see; will we?

 

[Icebear]

Sarcasm is good. We use it a lot here....actually...

Yes, few youngsters here. Sarcasm works but sometimes folks need a hint.

 

[triaddukefan]

Yes, few youngsters here. Sarcasm works but sometimes folks need a hint.

Whenever I try to use sarcasm, I usually follow it with one of these just in case...

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Tony

South Carolina has talent that compares favorably to UConn. South Carolina will be a tough match up and who knows who will win those games. One or two of the freshmen will have to step up. Although I do believe UConn will, there is no guarantee.

Wbbfan1- - -SoCar. has "the potential" to be a special team, but so does EVERY team have that potential to be great/special! To reach the heights that UCONN/Geno has reached is a huge chore! Just having HS AA's on your roster does not assure anyone of NCAA titles! UCONN works harder than anyone else, they do not overlook anyone, and yes, they have lost assorted games but that was more what UCONN didn't do then what the opponent did (see St. John's, Duke, ND).
Doris Burke said it best during last seasons FF Championship ND vs UCONN, that UCONN out works everyone else, there's no secret formula, just flat out work your competition!
Until the opposition is willing to sell out on offense & defense for the full 40 minutes per game, UCONN will continue to bury them by 20, 30, & 40 point margins! Until they get that mindset they are not ready for primetime!
UCONN will beat SoCar by at least 20, possibly 30 points by the time they play!

 

[UcMiami]

I like Uconn a lot, but ... SC is not to be overlooked - they are strongest in the area that Uconn has the biggest questions - front line. Uconn should be strongest in the back court and wing with the strong freshman class. Uconn's front court reinforcements arrive next year.
And Staley is a very good coach who has overachieved consistently with questionable talent - she now has a very talented team, and it will be interesting to see where she can take them. They were disappointed not to reach the FF last year and that has provided some incentive for the off season and heading into this season.

 

[hoophuskee]

Tony

South Carolina has talent that compares favorably to UConn. South Carolina will be a tough match up and who knows who will win those games. One or two of the freshmen will have to step up. Although I do believe UConn will, there is no guarantee.

I'll admit I haven't seen USC more than a smidgen. The little I saw they weren't very impressive. Uconncat I thought made an excellent post on another thread regarding their spacing. They might be2nd best team or 3rd best team, but I'm skeptical it will be be a tough matchup. I'm not so sure any team "matches up favorably" vs. UCONN. I don't think their pg can control the tempo while we ahve an a/a canddaite at pg. Thus I don't give them a huge shot that you seem to do that they'll "dominate" UCONN on the boards. IMO to really domaitne the galss and have teh domaintion translate to a huge imapct in the game, you have to control tempo. Maybe if Stewie gets into foul trouble.

And Stewie may very well be the greatest player in UCONN History. I don't believe "the USC bench" will have the impact you seem to think. On anther post you seem to believe there will be some sortof an "even out" between the UCONN "big 3" vs. th the USC bench. Give me the all-time great player in history along with supreme support at least att he pg position (which is vital in cbb) and KML - and if Tuck is healthy - this type of "support" for Stewie- I just don't see what you are seeing.

I'm with eric and others - you have to play the game and anything can happen. You seem though to really exepct it though like you did with Spain vs USA. You could be right - but I just don't see what you see. Similar with Spain I - I didn't even see- so when you said on that threat you expected Spain to have a "great chance" to beat USA- I thought you could be right but I highly doubted it. USA has DT and Maya etc. You could be right here too- but I highly doubt it. That's why they play the game, right?

 

[hoophuskee]

UCONN fans, above all others, should understand what a difference one player can make: Stewart, Maya, Charles, DT, Lobo. If Wilson is all that she is cracked up to be she is going to have a major impact on SC's team.

You're right we do. And many of us understand that as frosh DT, Maya and Tina - all-time greats had struggled in their final four game freshman game. So only Stewie didn't struggle in the final four their 1st year. Stewie the moment we got here was being mentioned as a potential "the greatest UCONN ever had." You seem to want to put Wilson on a similar type of pedestal. Maybe she can be- but the little I saw her- I don't see "Parker" as you do.

If you don't either then you have exaggerated her impact vs UCONN when you tied Wilson into Parker. Maybe she is- I only saw her briefly so you could be correct. But many of us husky fans have seen all-time greats who I think most of us would say "Wilson isn't quite as great as DT or Maya" in high school. Anyhow "show me" that she is. Not every number 1 recruit is "DT or Maya or Parker." To be "that great" is incredibly special. Thus you are right us husky fans know the impact of a potential superstar but usually in their frosh year - the NCAA's - we see it is inevetiable they will struggle mightily in at least a game if their role is huge. I'd be surprised with UCONN's experience and size up front that Wilson would be playing at superstar level vs UCONN this year. Maybe next. For the record, I never believed Stewie could have such an enormous run like she did but as Walsh said after the finals in some manner; "she played like we thought she was going to play all year." Maybe not that good but you get the point.

I'll say this - we've spoken this many times -- too bad in 2012-2013 when we peaked that we didn't get a chance to play your team. Though Dolson was hurt.

 

[Tonyc]

First let me say Thanks to all the nice things everybody said about me in this thread. Yeah Im not real good at spelling and punctuation even with spell check and to our New Poster continue to post and I hope we have the pleasure of meeting you at the games where the Boneyarders meet before and at half time of our home games. This is a great board with great posters from all over the country.

UConn and USC are both very talented teams. The difference will be playing as a team and bottom line will be defense. IMO USCs height much like MDs last season as well as Tenn didnt make that much of a difference. Kentucky lacked height and look at their game against USC.

Bottom line UConn is in a class of their own and they own every team in WCBB. There isnt a team that can keep up with them or give them a game. Its not about talent if it were UConn wouldnt be beating everybody by double digets and going undefeated. That may sound cocky but it is reality. They blow teams out and last season did it at crunch time against 5 ranked teams with only one game at home with KML and Tuck on the bench. USC may hang in with UConn for a large portion of the game but its just a matter of time.

USC has done a great job recruiting players as has UConn. Team confidence, execution, chemistry, continuity and discipline will be the difference. USC has never faced a team like UConn.

I agree USC is talented and has some big named players...so did Tenn MD ND Stanford UNC etc. Its putting it all together as a team that will be the difference. Geno has UConn far above every other team in WBB when it comes to T.E.A.M. Uconn wins this game by double digits barring any injuries to key players. If USC is intimidated of becomes frustrated it could get ugly very fast.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

UCONN fans, above all others, should understand what a difference one player can make: Stewart, Maya, Charles, DT, Lobo. If Wilson is all that she is cracked up to be she is going to have a major impact on SC's team.

All of our greats operated/operate within the greatest team system in WCBB history and that does make a difference. As the announcers in last year's championship game declared: "There is a wide gulf between UConn and number 2." Yeah, dropping a great player into UConn is different than dropping them into anywhere else right now. I like right now.

 

[easttexastrash]

Yeah, dropping a great player into UConn is different than dropping them into anywhere else right now. I like right now.

I agree with that!