Who is playing best basketball in Final Four?

[winlots]

Who cares? The SI cover has been replaced. Breanna is no longer jinxed.

SCH: great comment. Is that really how the jinx is supposed to go?? Certainly know the jinx, and looks like Stewart had it in some way, but I never knew about time limits on the jinx?

 

[winlots]

It really doesn't matter who played great or poorly to date. Four teams have played good enough to get to the Final 4. The question is, which coach can get their team in the right mental frame of mind to finish strong. I think past history shows, and most here know the answer to that question.

BEST: solid again.....he is the master of that. More reassurance for the one who never takes an opponent lightly - thanks.

 

[baggerbob]

Fortunately my main concern is, as always which team plays the best defense, that is the team which will cut down the nets. This Team is UConn, by far the best defensive team. This team doesn't come out and press for 40 minutes of hell, or any catch phrase, but when you get across half court, they contest every pass, and shot, eventually you make mistakes, and they go on a run.

 

[rocky rococo]

There's two discrete questions here: who is playing the best basketball overall, and who is playing their best basketball? It also gets hard to judge ND on either of these measures, as we really don't know how they'll play in Achonwa's absence, but it has to mean their best basketball isn't as good as it was a couple days ago. I think despite the fact UConn is not playing its best ball, it still is playing the best overall. Maryland is the team that seems to be playing its own very best game in the tourney.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Even without Achonwa Notre Dame will beat Maryland by double digits. Loyd and McBride will both carry ND into the final.

Notre Dame beat Maryland during the regular season by ONLY 4 points and yet, you are predicting that Maryland, who has played the best ball of any of the finalists in the tournament up to now, is going to lose by double digits with Notre Dame's big interior player out. Just say that we had beaten a team by only four points earlier in the year who is now playing their best ball of the season and we'll be playing the game without Stef Dolson, you are still predicting a BETTER OUTCOME????? Would that imply that Stef Dolson sucks????? Where is the logic? Achonwa is like a 2nd team All-American who sets great screens, is an outstanding passer, a great rebounder and a good scorer and yet, you think the result will be even better for Notre Dame? Your logic escapes me but it's your opinion, I guess.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Notre Dame beat Maryland during the regular season by ONLY 4 points and yet, you are predicting that Maryland, who has played the best ball of any of the finalists in the tournament up to now, is going to lose by double digits with Notre Dame's big interior player out. Just say that we had beaten a team by only four points earlier in the year who is now playing their best ball of the season and we'll be playing the game without Stef Dolson, you are still predicting a BETTER OUTCOME????? Would that imply that Stef Dolson sucks????? Where is the logic? Achonwa is like a 2nd team All-American who sets great screens, is an outstanding passer, a great rebounder and a good scorer and yet, you think the result will be even better for Notre Dame? Your logic escapes me but it's your opinion, I guess.

I think it's more of an eye test. I think UConn is on average 40 points better than BYU, but occasionally a game may end up much tighter than that.

 

[UcMiami]

Notre Dame beat Maryland during the regular season by ONLY 4 points and yet, you are predicting that Maryland, who has played the best ball of any of the finalists in the tournament up to now, is going to lose by double digits with Notre Dame's big interior player out. Just say that we had beaten a team by only four points earlier in the year who is now playing their best ball of the season and we'll be playing the game without Stef Dolson, you are still predicting a BETTER OUTCOME????? Would that imply that Stef Dolson sucks????? Where is the logic? Achonwa is like a 2nd team All-American who sets great screens, is an outstanding passer, a great rebounder and a good scorer and yet, you think the result will be even better for Notre Dame? Your logic escapes me but it's your opinion, I guess.

It was interesting listening to the ESPNW preview - ND built their big lead against MD with Natalie playing only 2 minutes in the first half, and they lost almost all of that lead with her back on the floor. I think it is a crap shoot as to how ND will play - the emotion of being in a final four AND the emotion of having their injured heart sitting on the bench is just going to be a very difficult thing to manage and to get right. Press too hard, try to do too much, and you become less good. With the adrenaline flowing remaining calm and doing what you do best is hard in any situation. And sustaining whatever high you start with and not hitting a low half way through will be seriously difficult. And it will probably be even harder the second game should they win the first.

 

[UcMiami]

UC: again seems spot on to me, but do have one question. In your opening are you saying the you think ND would have won without that injury? Of just could have?

No, but through the Baylor game I think ND was playing probably their best basketball of the year - McBride had the early foul trouble in that game but Loyd was playing great and Natalie was scoring and rebounding well above her season average in the tournament. So they were playing great and they have almost as much talent as Uconn and they definitely had a chance to win two games. They have taken a huge hit and if this had happened two months ago you would know what they had and freshman Reimer would have been eaten alive by senior Dolson. But ... this happened three days ago and sports are just weird and the inspiration of a moment can sometimes carry you to incredible heights. So ... ND has a chance to win two games. And Stanford isn't chopped liver either so while I think Uconn will win against Stanford and then win against either ND or Maryland it is not a dead cert.
Buzzboy hit it - defense is the great equalizer and Uconn has the best defense by far of the final four teams.
PPG def %FG Def MOV
Uconn 47.3 .307 35
Stan 59.8 .353 17.6
MD 61.9 .381 20.5
ND 61.2 .374 25.7

 

[ScarlettB]

I think MD is playing their best in the tournament. ND and Stanford are playing well. UConn does not look as good to me as they did earlier in the year, because of the play of Stewart and Hartley in particular. They look a bit tired. That being said, with the loss of Achonwa, I don't think any team can beat UConn unless someone gets injured or the refs call a really tight game. Your top six players are just too good.

 

[schmendrick]

SCH: great comment. Is that really how the jinx is supposed to go?? Certainly know the jinx, and looks like Stewart had it in some way, but I never knew about time limits on the jinx?

It generally lasts two weeks, and her cover was 3/24, so by Sunday it will be entirely gone.