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Even my daughter (mother to Logan and Barrett)
is looking for my Blog!!!
GO UCONN!!!!!
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It's always tough to create this blog when there is such a long gap between games. Maybe I should to what the team does and just practice my bloging. You know, spelling, sentence construction, grammer. Cuting and pasting. Internet searches. I can always learn new tricks.
Thankfully there is plenty out there in the world wide web for me to find and bring to you. And there is always Phil and the occasional Numbers from David.
Was I just whinning? Sorry about that.
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— UConn Huskies (@UConnHuskies) December 12, 2023
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One of my all time favorite Huskies!!!
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** Designates Upset
Tuesday, 12/12
Scores and Links
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A player of interest. No offer yet.
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Straight from the Dog
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I could have posted this blog hours ago but I waited for the LSU/McNeese game to be over. Not just to post the final in my Top 25 scores area but to tell you how PATHETIC LSU and Mulkey are for scheduling this game. Yes, McNeese State University is in Louisiana. Now maybe they have a history of playing them every year? Nope, they haven't played in 5 years.
Well, I hope they enjoyed their practice. It's even worse than a practice for what they get out of it.
Here are the lowlights. LSU scored 30+ points in each of the first three quarters reaching 100 points going into the final quarter. McNeese was shut out for the entire second quarter. That's right ZERO points.
Mulky finally emptied the bench at the 7:30 mark of the fourth quarter after scoring 111 points. The camera scanned to the bench and of course Angel Reese know when she is on TV and she blew a kiss. What an arrogant...well, you fill in the blank.
So, with the bench in, you'd figure the scoring would ease up. Nope. They scored 33 points in the fourth quarter. The final of 133-44 is so embarrassing. Not for Mulkey. She isn't capable of feeling that emotion. I mean, look at her outfits. The players are just playing. Can't really blame them too much. But the coach controls the tempo and there was no slowing down. No working on things. Just pressuring the ball, and turning McNeese over, fast breaking and taking quick shots. Awful.
They forced 36 turnovers. They played full court pressure which they haven't done all season against an overmatched opponent. What good does that do a team? They forced 8 turnovers in the last 4 minutes of the first half. After giving up 10 in the opening five minutes, LSU allowed two points the rest of the first half and 34 points the rest of the game.
They make it easy to hate them.
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I found this beauty on a UConn message board. And yes, it's a real UConn fan. Hard to believe.
"I am so ready to turn the page. Looking forward to the team consisting of KK, Shade, Q, Allie, Jana , Ice , Kelis and Morgan. Maybe we get Strong and/or Somfai."
Nine games in. 1/4 of the season. And this "fan" is giving up. Just wow. I think that is really sad. The team is decimated by injuries. They are just starting to figure things out. Will they will it all? It will be real hard. But don't you want to see them try?
And he added - "To me Paige Bueckers has been nothing but a paper tiger. Some thought she would be the next to bring UConn NC’s,unfortunately injuries and bad luck got in the way. Time to move on. In the words of the great Momma E, “Sorry not sorry”"
Time to move on??? What a jerk.
I just don't get some people. And in case that person reads my blog, Kelis is class of 2025 and won't be there next year. And you left off Azzi Fudd. She will be back. And maybe even Paige. Too many players from this year for that fan to deal with? Sigh......
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I'm leaving the Tennessee stuff to Phil in this blog. He did a fine job as you will see below. But I need to add this.
/span>BRACKETOLOGY: https://t.co/i8e70xLVeG
— ESPN Women's Hoops (@ESPN_WomenHoop) December 12, 2023
Tennessee is 5-5, on the wrong side of the bubble and out of this week's projection.
South Carolina, UCLA, Iowa and NC State remain No. 1 seeds. pic.twitter.com/EVu2Mrnqtg
They had a couple of cupcakes the next two games in Wofford and Liberty (maybe this one not so easy) and then three SEC teams they could beat in Auburn, Kentucky and Florida. If they can sweep they will be back in the tourney.
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By PHIL
Tennessee
I’m not proud of it, and I’m saying it the same way alcoholic, might say they are an alcoholic.
I’m half-jokingly recalling an exchange between two people moaning about the current state of the world — one asked the other "what you do when you’re feeling down?” He said, “I call my friends. After talking to them I feel a lot better about my life.” When I think about how the Huskies aren’t matching their beginning of season expectations, checking out the message board is kind of like that (except they aren’t my friends”.)
Yogi Berra famously said when asked directions to his home, “when you get to a fork in the road, take it.” (As an aside, It sounds like a classic Yogism but it was actually accurate, his house was at the end of a circular roadway and when you get to the circle it didn’t matter which way you turned, you’d get to his house.
Tennessee is sort of at a fork in the road. The analogy breaks down because you can usually see the fork and have a choice between options. Tennessee is nearing a fork but it’s unseen and it’s not their choice.
In a nutshell, when will Jackson return?
It’s only a bit of an oversimplification to suggest that “how Jackson goes, the team will go”. She is returning from a serious injury, not quite 100% and I don’t think anyone knows when, at least not willing to share with the public, whether she will return to full strength or just give them a few minutes here and there. One wants to say that a full-strength Key will be the key to the future but that’s not the case.
With Jackson, they will claw their way back to ranked status, earn an invitation to the tournament, and like last year may get rewarded with home-court advantage without deserving it.
The best-case scenario is a little better than that but highly unlikely. A scenario where Jackson doesn’t return is much more sobering. Supposedly she’s day-to-day but she’s been day-to-day for many days and we’ve heard that refrain. They are not likely to need her against Eastern Kentucky, Wofford or Liberty, but by the time SEC conference game start with Auburn, they will need her.
To put it in perspective, Tennessee just lost to Middle Tennessee. MTSU is actually not a terrible team this year with a Massey ranking of 56. That is not a terrible ranking but that ranking would place you eleventh in the SEC. Yes, Tennessee even without Jackson can beat some teams ranked stronger than 56. But it also means a team ranked 60 such as Florida isn’t an automatic W.
Without Jackson, they may well end up eighth, ninth, tenth, or eleventh in the SEC. Not one of those outcomes will sit well with the fans.
Milestone watch
• Aaliyah Edwards has 1340 career points after the North Carolina game. She is in 39th place. She needs 25 points to catch Charde Houston.
• Nika Mühl had 466 assists after the Ball State game. She is in sole possession of 18th place. She needs 9 to tie Svetlana Abrosimova.
• Paige Bueckers reached the 1000-point milestone, early in the second half in the game against North Carolina. The two points broke the halftime tie, and were the start of a UConn run. Paige ties Maya Moore reaching the milestone in 55 games, the fewest of any UConn player.
• Nika Mühl had 466 assists after the Ball State game. She is in sole possession of 18th place. She needs 9 to tie Svetlana Abrosimova.
• Paige Bueckers reached the 1000-point milestone, early in the second half in the game against North Carolina. The two points broke the halftime tie, and were the start of a UConn run. Paige ties Maya Moore reaching the milestone in 55 games, the fewest of any UConn player.
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Plus one for every assist block point rebound and steal. I don’t add extra for offensive rebounds as it already seems to favor the bigs. Minus one for every missed shot (2, 3 or foul), turnover or foul committed.
We have Paige and they don’t!
UConn 74 North Carolina 53.
Paige 29, Aaliyah 16, Aubrey 13, Ashlynn 8, Nika 8, Qadence 1, KK 1, Ice -2.
Year: Paige 169, Aaliyah 138, Aubrey 115, Nika 73, KK 62, Ashlynn 41, Qadence 28, Ice 4.
Year per minute: Paige .65, Aubrey .55, Aaliyah .50, Qadence.27, Ashlynn .27, KK .27, Nika .25, Ice .03.
Paige Blockers!! Great win. Beat Louisville. The Great Eight!
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UCONN LINKS
Several links are pay sites. Sorry!
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Here is an option for any contributions for my Utime in putting together this blog.
I'm not requiring the contribution in order to read the blog. It's totally voluntary. And I'm not recommending how much to donate or how often.
Thanks to all my loyal readers!!!
If you don't have Venmo, you can sign up here
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And here is another option that is being pushed by Paige!!
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Message Boards
UConn Territory - The best UConn women's message board ever!!!
Vol Nation - Tennessee women's basketball board
ND Nation - Notre Dame women's basketball board
Rebkell - WCBB for everyone that thinks they are smarter than everyone else
UCONN Information
UConn 2023-2024 Statistics (updated after 1st game)
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