UConn Women Vs. UCLA

[Slewbopper]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

The Uconn team is so stacked that they SHOULD win every game. It would be like taking the NBA All Star team and playing D league teams. They are playing top 10 schools who have no players that could make their team. Gino has created a monster program and certainly can recruit. But womans basketball is just not that competitive of a sport at the highest level and while it is a notable accomplishment, the idea that it is the equal of a mens streak is laughable.

This is simply not true, at least not this year. Maya was the #1 highschooler in the country as a junior and senior. Of the rest of the roster, none were ranked higher than #10. Other programs (Tennessee, Duke, UNC) are more "stacked" according to HS rankings. Tennessee presently has a roster of at least 6 players that were ranked in the top 10 in HS. Why haven't they even been able to reach the Elite 8 the last two years? Coaching.

Geno goes after players that will fit into his system....essentially a team of unselfish role players....players who were stars in high school, but buy into his team concept.

Prior to the '08-'09 season, UConn signed the #1 HS player in the country, a 6'5 guard named Elena Della Donne. She is probably the greatest pure shooter in the history of the women's game. She attended a pre-season two week get together in June when the team held voluntary uncoached scrimmages and practices. She packed her bags and went home to Delaware after two days. She knew at the time she would be unable to give the intensity needed to play at UConn. In August, she officially left UConn and enrolled at Delaware. She is now playing there in obscurity with little chance of ever making it to the NCAA tournament, and if she does it will be as a 13 to 16 seed. We certainly haven't missed her.