It's kind of hard to look at a team that is 28-2 and say they had an up and down year, but that is the only way one could describe the UConn women this year.
They look like they are a #1 seed and one of up to 6 teams that can win the NCAA championship, but if they make the Final 4, they are likely to be underdogs in both possible Final 4 games. They lack size and depth, and they are not as good defensively as they were last year or the year before. But they arguably have the best offensive team in the country when Samuelson is healthy and they are firing on all cylinders.
Last night Samuelson did not play, and the team was not firing on all cylinders. Collier was triple teamed and rendered ineffective, and the rest of the team looked lost. In the second half, however, UConn picked up the intensity on defense and caused turnovers on 9 of USF's 1st 11 second half possessions. USF recovered a bit after that, but down the stretch UConn made some winning plays and eventually won the game by 10.
The game started off with an interesting quid pro quo scoring arrangement on USF's senior night. UConn allowed an uncontested layup to USF senior Laura Feirreira, who started after having missed the last 11 games with heart palpitations and must have an implant in the near future. She was quickly removed from the game after scoring the hoop, her basketball career very likely over. It was then time to allow UConn an uncontested bucket in response. Initially USF looked like they would defend and it appeared to me that the coaches yelled at them and eventually Crystal Dangerfield scored an uncontested, undefended layup to make the game 2-2, and from there the real game started.
I never saw a quid pro quo scoring arrangement in the men's game, although I have seen UConn do this now several times with Geno as coach. There are precedents, however, for tribute shots and great examples of sportsmanship in the men's game. I think one of the greatest moment in the history of NCAA men's basketball tournament came in 1990, when Bo Kimble of Loyola Marymount shot a left handed FT in honor of his teammate, the great Hank Gaithers, who had died of a heart attack on court weeks earlier. Not only did Kimble make the FT, but he stroked it - nothing but net, a moment that stands out in my mind as one of the greatest moments ever in the NCAA tournament:
They look like they are a #1 seed and one of up to 6 teams that can win the NCAA championship, but if they make the Final 4, they are likely to be underdogs in both possible Final 4 games. They lack size and depth, and they are not as good defensively as they were last year or the year before. But they arguably have the best offensive team in the country when Samuelson is healthy and they are firing on all cylinders.
Last night Samuelson did not play, and the team was not firing on all cylinders. Collier was triple teamed and rendered ineffective, and the rest of the team looked lost. In the second half, however, UConn picked up the intensity on defense and caused turnovers on 9 of USF's 1st 11 second half possessions. USF recovered a bit after that, but down the stretch UConn made some winning plays and eventually won the game by 10.
The game started off with an interesting quid pro quo scoring arrangement on USF's senior night. UConn allowed an uncontested layup to USF senior Laura Feirreira, who started after having missed the last 11 games with heart palpitations and must have an implant in the near future. She was quickly removed from the game after scoring the hoop, her basketball career very likely over. It was then time to allow UConn an uncontested bucket in response. Initially USF looked like they would defend and it appeared to me that the coaches yelled at them and eventually Crystal Dangerfield scored an uncontested, undefended layup to make the game 2-2, and from there the real game started.
I never saw a quid pro quo scoring arrangement in the men's game, although I have seen UConn do this now several times with Geno as coach. There are precedents, however, for tribute shots and great examples of sportsmanship in the men's game. I think one of the greatest moment in the history of NCAA men's basketball tournament came in 1990, when Bo Kimble of Loyola Marymount shot a left handed FT in honor of his teammate, the great Hank Gaithers, who had died of a heart attack on court weeks earlier. Not only did Kimble make the FT, but he stroked it - nothing but net, a moment that stands out in my mind as one of the greatest moments ever in the NCAA tournament:
