Doggydaddy's Den: DoggyDaddy's Dailies

Links to everything about UConn women

Links to every top 25 score and game recap

Links to every AAC score and game recap

A list of top performers (Either 20+ points, a double/double or whatever I feel like)

Links to everything you need to find out about a team, a player, every statistic you can think

Links to every relevant WCBB message boards

Links to every ranking, rating, SOS, RPI sites

Links to other great Blogs

*******************************************************************************
If you haven't seen it, here is my UConn - Nebraska Pregame Report

*********************************************************************************

A VERY busy Friday in WCBB with 16 of the top 25 teams on the schedule. Here are a few of the more interesting games.

*********************************************************************************
Congrats to Coach Gary Blair in winning his 700th game, as No. 10 Texas A&M beat No. 16 California 75-58. The two Courtneys were spectacular tonight. Williams scored 32 points on 14-24 shooting. Walker added 18 points. Great win over a ranked team on the road.

*********************************************************************************

Great game in Texas in the Lone Star Showcase. Jonquel Jones had an amazing game, scoring 23 points and a school record 26 rebounds to lift No. 24 George Washington past No. 25 Iowa for an 81-77 double-overtime win. Tough way for Iowa to have to drop out of the top 25.

*********************************************************************************

I'm sure the Tennessee fans are starting to feel like Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day.

Play a team with much less talent at home.

Get out to a decent size lead.

Let the other team back in the game.

Play back and forth basketball for several minutes.

Pull away again.

Let the other team back in.

Pull away at the end for the close win.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

In a similar game as they had against Syracuse, Penn State and Chattanooga, No. 4 Tennessee did the above to win against a very game Albany team, 63-55. Albany played only 6 players, with two playing 40 minutes. It was clear they were tired at the end of the game.

"It's better to work through these things now than in April," said Tennessee guard Diamond DeShields, who added 11 points. "We're definitely getting better. I do feel we got better tonight. Albany did a great job defending us, but that's what we need. They helped us get better."

Well, I don't see how they are any better. I agree more with Tennessee guard Jordan Reynolds who said. "We can't continue to play like we've been playing.".

The Albany coach said "Anytime No. 12 (Graves) or No. 21 (Russell) caught the ball, we were going to double them and make them prove themselves,".

That seems to be the strategy of all the Tennessee opponents. And it's working. Tennessee is really struggling with their outside shooting. Their guards this season are a combined 60 for 172. That's 34.9% from the field. It gets even worse. They are 15 for 66 on threes. A whopping 22.7%.

Did I say it gets worse? Take away the 19 for 41 from the field and the 5-13 on threes from the blowout in the first game against Central Arkansas and their percentages are 31.2% and 18.8%.

It's hard to believe that a top 5 team can only score 57, 59 and 63 in their last three games. Where is the offense?

We will find out if they can find their outside touch Sunday against Texas. Graves and Russell, their big inside threats, will find less room against the big front line of the Longhorns. This would be a big win for the Lady Vols and go a long way in quieting their critics....like me...lol.

*********************************************************************************

In another top 5 game by an SEC "powerhouse", No. 2 South Carolina won in a crazy finish.

From the AP game report - Arizona State took a 58-56 lead on Katie Hempen's 3-pointer from the left wing with 1:17 remaining. Alaina Coates got a putback on South Carolina's next possession to tie it with just under a minute to play.The Sun Devils had a chance to take the lead, but Hempen missed a 3-pointer and the Gamecocks got the ball back with 8.3 seconds left. South Carolina grabbed a pair of offensive rebounds before Wilson drew a foul just before the final buzzer and made both of her free throws. Arizona State inbounded the ball, but was unable to get a final shot off.

What a fortunate win for SC against a game Arizona State team. And what a terrible offensive performance by the South Carolina guards. Outside of Bianca Cuevas, who was 7-13, the other 5 guards were 6-25 from the field for 24% and all of the guards were 1-11 on threes.

Between Tennessee and South Carolina, these have to be the worst shooting guards for any top 5 team in recent memory.

Either there is a lot more parity in WCBB or they just don't make top 5 teams like they used to.

*********************************************************************************

No. 3 Notre Dame won big time in the Junkanoo Jam, taking place in the Bahamas. They beat Denver 84-52 behind the Mabrey sisters. The freshman, Marina, scored a career high 19 points and her older sister, Michaela, scored 13 points. The big news is really on the injury front for Notre Dame.

They were without star forward Brianna Turner, who injured her right shoulder in practice on Tuesday.

She is supposed to be re-evaluated on Monday when the Irish return home. Notre Dame were also missing center Taya Reimer, who has been sidelined with a sore Achilles. Because of these injuries, Notre Dame had to play little used Juniors, center Diamond Thompson and forward Kristina Nelson for decent minutes. They did a good job, with 15 points and 8 rebounds in their combined 31 minutes. Turner and Reimer are supposed to miss the next game against UCLA in the championship of the tournament so expect some minutes for Thompson and Nelson in that game. But, it won't be as easy as it was against Denver.

This will NOT be an easy game for the Irish.

*********************************************************************************

So, without further ado!!!

Ladies and Gents, DD looks at the news........