Toggle sidebar

How is UCONN so dominant?

BlueRidgeMtns

BlueRidgeMtns

All-Conference
Nov 29, 2016
5,164
2,996
113
I understand that they get the top recruits, but it's basketball. There are so many schools out there that have good programs and there are a lot of chances during a season, conference tournament, and NCAA tournament for them to lose. Your roster is fairly small compared to other sports so there have to be great players at other schools.

This may be a stupid post, but I just don't get it.
 
mount lefroy

mount lefroy

Redshirt
Feb 10, 2013
2,501
0
36
VirginiaDawg said:
I understand that they get the top recruits, but it's basketball. There are so many schools out there that have good programs and there are a lot of chances during a season, conference tournament, and NCAA tournament for them to lose. Your roster is fairly small compared to other sports so there have to be great players at other schools.

This may be a stupid post, but I just don't get it.
Click to expand...

They play basketball the way it was intended. They tirelessly defend passing lanes. They move without the ball. They don't take low percentage shots.
 
missouridawg

missouridawg

Junior
Oct 6, 2009
9,400
305
83
mount lefroy said:
They play basketball the way it was intended. They tirelessly defend passing lanes. They move without the ball. They don't take low percentage shots.
Click to expand...

Their coaching is top notch, no doubt. But they win because they have the best players. The had draft picks 1, 2, and 3 last year...
 
coach66

coach66

Junior
Mar 5, 2009
12,702
331
83
All of their players (7) I believe can shoot the heck out of the ball and can

drive to the basket when you come out to defend them. As mentioned they play defense and rebound too.
 
B

Baddmann

Freshman
Sep 20, 2015
427
65
28
mount lefroy said:
They play basketball the way it was intended. They tirelessly defend passing lanes. They move without the ball. They don't take low percentage shots.
Click to expand...

This.

Watch them play. The way they play defense, screens don't work. When someone attempts a screen, UConn rotates to the player trying to screen.
 
P

philduckworth

Redshirt
Feb 20, 2015
2,228
0
0
There is no 1 and done in women's hoops. Imagine if Fox, Monk, and Bam played at UK for 4 years. And then imagine that they didn't even play much as true freshman b/c guys like Karl Anthony Towns was playing as a senior. Also, there are fewer elite women players than there are men so you don't get the parity.
 
jethreauxdawg

jethreauxdawg

Heisman
Dec 20, 2010
11,309
15,525
113
Pat Summit's health declined

VirginiaDawg said:
I understand that they get the top recruits, but it's basketball. There are so many schools out there that have good programs and there are a lot of chances during a season, conference tournament, and NCAA tournament for them to lose. Your roster is fairly small compared to other sports so there have to be great players at other schools.

This may be a stupid post, but I just don't get it.
Click to expand...

Geno and Pat were head and shoulders above the other coaches. Now Geno is in a league by himself.
 
IBleedMaroonDawg

IBleedMaroonDawg

Heisman
Nov 12, 2007
25,840
10,023
113
I don't know but I know Coach Vic went up to see him last summer and talk with him about what he does in his program. He was bragging about the difference that Mississippi State had this season after that visit
 
M

msstatelp1

All-Conference
Aug 21, 2012
2,041
1,179
113
IBleedMaroonDawg said:
I don't know but I know Coach Vic went up to see him last summer and talk with him about what he does in his program. He was bragging about the difference that Mississippi State had this season after that visit
Click to expand...

This was a smart thing for Coach Vic to do. If you want to be the best then learn from the best.
 
bulldognation

bulldognation

All-Conference
Jan 26, 2004
3,757
1,448
113
I've noticed we will incorporate some of those defensive moves as well. The rotating defenders around a pick along with a reach for the ball by the weak side defender. It's produced some turnovers by lesser opponents, but I don't think it will have the same impact against UCONN. We've also contested the inbounds more and pressed better as a team.
 
T

thekimmer

All-Conference
Aug 30, 2012
8,694
2,710
113
It cannot be attributed to talent alone....

missouridawg said:
Their coaching is top notch, no doubt. But they win because they have the best players. The had draft picks 1, 2, and 3 last year...
Click to expand...

Certainly talent will get you many wins and multiple championships but its way more than that. They are two wins from not having lost a game in 3 years. That is incredible at any level and beyond belief in D1 athletics where everyone recruits nationally and hands out schollys to play. Its even more beyond belief in a sport with a lot of games, has just five players, has a ginormous participation rate (large talent pool) and is popular across the nation. Nobody comes close to doing that based on just signing the best HS talent.
 
M

Moe Cabelle

Redshirt
Feb 16, 2016
456
0
0
Of course they have good coaching but that doesn't account for endless years of dominance. No way.

I'd have to say it's predominately talent at this point. Kind of like Alabama football. They've got such a good thing going.. who wouldn't want to play for them.

Plus, my kids note that in reality... outside of the top 10 or so teams... most games are just blowouts. The best players are all at UConn and smattered about.
 
C

cowbell88

All-Conference
Jan 11, 2009
3,339
1,052
113
Remember when the East German women were so dominant in winter and summer Olympics? Uconn must have gotten a hold of some of that supplement
 
C

Clevermule

Redshirt
Aug 27, 2012
12
0
0
It helps if your College Coach is also the Coach of the US Women's National Team which the Uconn coach was until just last month. Same thing made UNC dominant in Women's Soccer for many years while Anson Dorrance was Coach of both UNC and US Women's team.
 
B

BiscuitEater

Redshirt
Aug 29, 2009
4,178
0
36
thekimmer said:
Certainly talent will get you many wins and multiple championships but its way more than that.
Click to expand...

Combination of the 'best talent' recruited nationally, discipline & outstanding coaching. Players go there to play on the 'best team' knowing that they will have a chance to go to the next level.

Reminds me of the much the same in men's BB under Wooden ..

His UCLA teams also had a then-record winning streak of 88 games and four perfect 30–0 seasons. They also won 38 straight games in NCAA Tournaments and 98 straight home game wins at Pauley Pavilion. Wooden was named NCAA College Basketball's "Coach of the Year" in 1964, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973.
 
Philly Dawg

Philly Dawg

Heisman
Oct 6, 2012
15,943
10,628
113
Agree. Altough they are extremely well coached, you don't win this many in a row if your talent level is not far superior to your opponents'. You will have off nights and get beat unless you can simply overwhelm the other teams with your talent.
 
B

bruiser.sixpack

Redshirt
Aug 13, 2009
7,346
0
0
In men's college basketball, there is enough parity in programs 1-20 that adding just one puzzle piece can get you over the top.

In women's, you have

UConn
Then



Down here you have Baylor, Notre Dame, Stanford, North Carolina, and now South Carolina.







Then down here you have the rest with this year Mississippi State being at the Top of this list.

Parity does not exist yet in women's basketball.
 
Philly Dawg

Philly Dawg

Heisman
Oct 6, 2012
15,943
10,628
113
The difference in men's and women's basketball is the number of elite athletes. Teams like Kentucky and Duke can get the top top men's players but there are many more who are just as athletic if not quite as skillful. It's simply not the case in women's basketball.
 
R

rynodawg

Senior
May 29, 2007
1,168
418
83
Yes, not as many 'tall' elite athletes. You need a McCowan type player to have any chance against the Baylor and USC level teams. There just aren't many to go around.

Volleyball also ends up with a handful of elite teams. Penn State has had similar stretches of dominance in that sport.
 
U

UpTheMiddlex3Punt

All-Conference
May 28, 2007
17,985
3,991
113
Clevermule said:
It helps if your College Coach is also the Coach of the US Women's National Team which the Uconn coach was until just last month. Same thing made UNC dominant in Women's Soccer for many years while Anson Dorrance was Coach of both UNC and US Women's team.
Click to expand...
Add Mississippi State softball to that list**
 
L

lbt86

Redshirt
Jan 31, 2016
94
0
0
bulldognation said:
I've noticed we will incorporate some of those defensive moves as well. The rotating defenders around a pick along with a reach for the ball by the weak side defender. It's produced some turnovers by lesser opponents, but I don't think it will have the same impact against UCONN. We've also contested the inbounds more and pressed better as a team.
Click to expand...

That's called hedging a screen. We usually play a "soft hedge" where the defensive big will step out in front of the ball-handler briefly, and afterwards immediately play the offensive roll-man. It prevents the ball-handling guard from accelerating full speed around a screen, but because you play your forward/bigs aggressively on the perimeter the defensive big will sometimes get caught flat footed

Here's more:

http://www.tomahawknation.com/2012/5/7/3004946/video-chalkboard-to-hedge-or-not-to-hedge
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom