Doggydaddy's Den: DoggyDaddy's Daililes 2/26/16

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Well, that was a first. I click on ESPN.COM to see the scores and as always, the top 25 teams show up. I had to click on the SEC option to find the Tennessee score. Wow. They really aren't in the top 25!

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I'm almost sorry I found the link to the Tennessee-Alabama game. Coming in, Alabama had never beaten Tennessee in their last 42 tries.

The first quarter was a normal Tennessee vs any SEC opponent. Alabama led after one 15-14. I tuned with 4 minutes left in the first quarter to see Tennessee go up 14-11. At that point forward I saw a terrible Tennessee team play their absolute worst 13 minutes of the season. Tennessee scored only 3 points in those 13:23. They were 0-17 from the field. They only scored 3 points on 3-4 from the foul line. 0-17? Wow. Three points in a quarter? Horrific. Tennessee was down 28-17 at the half.

Peeeuuuuuuu!!!

I stopped watching at that point, but wanted to catch the last couple of minutes. Tennessee tried to come back. They really did. But they are just so bad. All they had was one on one play and occasionally a player would connect. The last minute was Tennessee missing and fouling Alabama. The final would have been worse for Tennessee if Alabama hit a few more foul shots at the end. But the final of 54-46 has to be the low point of low points for Tennessee. Their stats are so bad they make Tennessee over qualified for my Uggy Award for the ugliest game. If you watched the game too long you turn to stone. They shot 18-69 from the field for 26.1%. Now turn away......I mean it.....they were 0-11 on threes. And some were really bad. The shooting was so bad that a turnover was a blessing.

They hadn't lost to Alabama since 1986. A series of firsts for Tennessee that are not the kind you want to see. First loss ever to Ole Miss earlier this season. Most losses with more to come.

Tennessee is now 16-12 and 7-8 in the SEC. They now play Georgia, who is really on the upswing this season winning seven of their last eight and will be a handful for the Lady Vols. It is truly possible they lose this game, their first game in the SEC tourney and their first game of the NCAA tourney. If they lose the first two of the three, they might not even make the Dance if they are 16-15.

Crazy collapse of a program. Mind boggling. So when did the collapse start? With this.....

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Both No. 11 Texas A&M and No. 12 Florida State both held on to win on the road against similar conference opponents that are fighting for a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Texas A&M defeated Auburn 57-49 in a game that was much closer than the final. Auburn is now 18-10 and 8-7 in the conference. They finish their season at now unranked Florida. A game they might have to win along with an SEC tournament game.

Florida State beat NCST 56-52 in a game that WAS as close as the score. NCST is also 18-10 and 9-6 in the ACC. They finish against a terrible Clemson team. If they can win their first round ACC game that gives them 20 wins and what I would say is a ticket to the dance.

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From David in Naples

Napheesa Collier is a freshman on a team that won the National Championship and returned four starters. Competing with her for playing time were the #1 recruit from high school, the FOY in the new Big East, the best 6th man in the AAC and a junior who played 19.0 minutes per game last year. Those four players and Collier faced the challenge of fighting for the 5th starter role and minutes off the bench during crunch time, when games were still being decided.

Napheesa has played 496 minutes to date, an average of 18.4 minutes per game, in every UConn contest. She is one of only 4 players to dress and play in all 27 UConn games this season. Collier started 9 of those games and has scored 185 points or 6.9 per game this season. Despite the limited minutes, Napheesa leads the team with 67 offensive rebounds, leads the team at 91.4% on free throws, is 2nd on the team with 38 blocked shots and 3rd on the team with 154 total rebounds. Her 40 steals are the 4th highest behind MoJeff, Stewie and Gabby. Inside the 3 pt arc, she is shooting 54.7% (75-137).

Collier's stats are not the headline grabbing kind. She has taken only 5.3 shots per game and has only 1 three pointer. She is a grinder down underneath, despite being only 6'1". Offensive rebounds, steals and blocked shots won't win you Freshman of the Week in the AAC. With the experience from this year and another summer to grow and refine her talents, the sky is the limit for Napheesa.

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Fans. Some are great. They support their team in good times and bad. Some other? Just total complete morons. I mean they are dumber than a rock and that is an insult to a rock.

In a game where a freshman led the team in scoring, their missing in action forward shed her knee brace and played really well, they somehow focus on the players that went in then Nurse, Samuelson, Stewart, Tuck, Jefferson and even Williams was on the bench.

They nit pick at their mistakes, they lament that UConn will struggle with theses players next year, and overall act like they actually understand basketball when clearly they are just friggin' idiots.

Now, I almost understand some of that during a game thread where people have a tendency to dissect the play. But this particular poster decided to do that the next day. Let me share....with my comments of course. All of his words will be in red because that is what I see when I read them!!

First, he titles his post "Auditions for 2016/17". Just really stupid. No way are any of the final quarters of blowouts auditions for anything except the next practice.

Ok...here we go.

It appears that Coach Geno is holding auditions for next year's team, particularly the starting five and first off the bench. And he doesn't appear particularly pleased. Against Cincinnati, he started five potential starters for next year. With the score tied 15-15 against a poor team, he pulled them. After the game last night, he remarked that his five starters don't want to come out of the game, while the others don't seem to want to go in.

Well, it may appear that way to you, but not to folks who actually have a brain. Yes, he started five players that might start next year. A group that probably hasn't practiced that much together. He didn't do it s an audition for next year. He did it to motivate those player to play better when they are in the game. His comments after the game are Geno being Geno. More words to motivate.

So, with the conference won and just two regular season games remaining, what is the line-up next year?

Why exactly is this a discussion now? I personally find it a waste of time when UConn is in the final stages of a championship run, undefeated with a 27-0 record, two first team AA's and more. That might be a minority opinion but these conversations should be saved for after the season, quickly talked about then put on hold until the players show up in the summer and we hear how they are playing.

Post-Gabby Williams. She has been the team's spark plug the past two years. When she enters the game, the team perks up. But she will be the smallest post among the to teams (?), though her jumping ability makes her the David Thompson of WCBB.

Huh?? She is your post player? David Thompson? You get dumber and dumber.

PG- Could it be Crystal Dangerfield? Saniya is arguably not playing well due to a serious chronic condition in her leg. But will she really heal up enough to take the point next year?

Like I said, why now? Wait till the summer and see how she is doing. At least make your opinion based on more than HS accolades. And shouldn't we wait to see how Chong heals?

G- Will it be Kia Nurse? Nurse is slumping somewhat. Could Chong take that spot?

Is Chong playing the point? If she isn't good enough to beat out a freshman, how on earth would she take over a 2 year starter at off guard? Wow.

F- Katy Lou Samuelson. Her size, 6'3", which is the tallest of the top performers, would suggest she goes to the post. But she's a 3-point shooter. So forward.

Yeah, great analysis. She is tall, so she might play the post. But she is a three point shooter so she is a forward. Damn, the more I read the dumber you are.

F- Napheesa Collier. That assumes that she gets out of Geno's doghouse and doesn't transfer. Fingers crossed."

Doesn't transfer? That comment was so bad, the mod on that board actually changed it later. What a terrible thing to say.

First off the bench:

Post- Butler. But can she be counted on to be another Kiah Stokes? She hasn't seemed to be up to the roll of a starting post. She's a redshirt sophomore, but by age a junior.

Butler off the bench? She is nothing like Stokes. She the hell is the point of making that one? Two totally different players. She started ONCE and she doesn't seem up to the roll of a starting post? While she has had some down games (who doesn't) if you take her 15 mpg numbers and make them starter minutes of 25 she would average a double double. That is not good enough for you?

G- Courtney Ekmark- She is playing better, and appears to be gaining confidence. Look at last night's numbers: 5 pts, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and in only 13 minutes. And she's shooting 37% from 3.

I love me some Courtney and I do think she has a shot at some more minutes next year. Wow, we agree!!!

Can Irwin be counted on to play effectively? Is she the discovery of Geno's career? The most unheralded recruit to make good? Haven't seen her play.

Like I said, can we wait until she plays a little summer games with the team before asking that question? Discovery of Geno's career? Talk about hyperbole! Hey, if you would read my blog you would have seen plenty of videos of Irwin. Then you might not seem so ignorant.

But there is a huge lack of size on next year's team. After 6'3" KLS, no starter will be over 6'1".

Well, there is no starter over 6'1" because you dismissed Butler as a starter. Really dumb.

Your thoughts? Will the new lineup be effective without a real post?

Well I'll repeat it again. Butler, Butler Butler. What don't you understand about that??

Sigh.

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So, without further ado!!!

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