UConn-UT to play in 2020 and 2021
by cbiebel (2018-08-15 01:41:20)
Edited on 2018-08-15 01:44:17
Post Reply Return to McGraw's Bench

My take: I don't care how well UT recruits, UConn will seriously kick their ass. The difference in coaching ability is huge.

ND gets some love in the article:

Notre Dame became the Huskies' primary rival, even though the Fighting Irish and Huskies are no longer in the same conference. They've met 25 times since UConn-Tennessee ended, with six of those coming at the Final Four -- including this past season, when the Irish dramatically beat the Huskies in overtime in the national semifinals on their way to the NCAA title.

One of the posters on the Boneyard had an interesting point about this: In the last 20 years ND and Baylor both have had as many NCs as UT (2).

I also checked myself and found that ND has as many Final Fours (7) as UT and one more Championship game appearance (6 vs 5).



Yawn. Happy for Voepel - she’s been dying for this.
by Goirish01  (2018-08-15 02:02:23)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

But who cares? UT is not the UT of the Pat Summit days.
Sound of one hand clapping.... *
by RISteve  (2018-08-15 10:10:26)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Don't Think This Wish Fulfillment Will Come True...
by dillon77  (2018-08-15 09:53:53)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

..and rekindle interest in a once very relevant rivalry that has, really, seen it's day...a decade ago.

As the article says:

"Tennessee beat the (Stanford) Cardinal for the title behind Candace Parker. That was the Lady Vols' last of 18 appearances in the Final Four. Meanwhile, UConn was embarking on a decade-plus of unprecedented dominance in women's college basketball."

Candace Parker is now 32 years old and is the youngest of the famed UT/UConn stars who have faced each other in games that matter.

Pat Summit is, of course, no longer here, but Holly W. still uses her approach of recruiting athletic hoopsters and having them use their athletic abilities to beat most teams. However, they no longer play D and rebound like Summit's teams did. And who knows if Geno will be around in 2020? If not, this move is a total marshmallow.

If UConn wanted to schedule a home and home against a relevant SEC national contender, Geno should've called Vic Schaefer at MSU.


Agree Schaefer keeps reloading now using Grad students.
by domerduck  (2018-08-15 13:57:13)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

He is an excellent coach. Another SEC team stong is certainly South Carolina with Staley's role as the coach of the USWNT is stronger and her recent NC, but UConn has been playing them.

The truth is UConn needs these games more than the SEC (or any other power conference elite team) and should take any home and home they can work out, especially ones with big away crowds whose team will attract big UConn home crowds. The games they have to play in the AAC don't help them at all.