Another 1, and another 1 bite the dust.

In what was most certainly one of the most entertaining Final Four matchups in recent times, Connecticut and Stanford (both #1 seeds) were both upset by #2 seeds Notre Dame and Texas  A&M respectively.

When Stanford beat UConn last December, ending the Lady Huskies’ 90 game win streak, it was widely expected that would end up facing off in the national title game.  They seemed destined for that rematch after getting through their respective regions without much struggle.  It turns out that the Fighting Irish and Aggies had other ideas.  The key to both these upsets could be summed up in one word; defense.

Texas A&M had the size and grit to match Stanford’s pedigree.  When Stanford took a 54-44 lead with a little over 5 minutes remaining, the Aggies may have been down but not out.  Stanford got outscored 19-8 while committing 3 turnovers the rest of the way (the Aggies had no turnovers).

Despite another big game from Nneka Ogumwike, the rest of the Cardinal players were pretty much held in check.  Jeanette Pohlen was the only other player in double figures (11 points).  It also didn’t help much that Melanie Murphy spent most of the game in foul trouble, eventually fouling out.  Jeanette Pohlen, Kayla Pedersen and Melanie Murphy have been part of some great Stanford teams, but going home empty after 4 straight Final Fours isn’t exactly an easy pill to swallow.

Not to be outdone, Notre Dame who was playing a virtual “home game” saved the best for last.  In front of a partisan crowd in Indianapolis, the Irish were looking to make amends for their three previous losses against UConn.  The Irish had got through the tournament with some tough defense and good perimeter shooting.

Maya Moore and Jeanette Pohlen: fallen legends

They carried that mode into this match against a young and shorthanded UConn team.  The Huskies were using a 7-player rotation and Coach Geno Auriemma hinted that they would be vulnerable especially in encounters as tough as this one.  With Stefanie Dolson sitting out for most of the game after getting into early foul trouble, UConn had to rely on a much smaller lineup for most of the game and Notre Dame made them pay dearly.

While Maya Moore carried the team on her back in this game like she had done all season, Notre Dame was able to answer behind the sensational play of Skylar Diggins, Brittany Mallory and Natalie Novosel.  Mallory and Novosel hit key three pointers, while Diggins would simply not let this team lose.

Diggins made what was arguably the play of the game, with a minute and change left to play.  With the Irish leading by 5 points, Diggins came up with a steal and drove all the way to the basket for a layup that pushed the lead to 7 points, effectively ending the game.  The Huskies wouldn’t get any closer than 4 points.  Notre Dame advanced to their first final since 2001 when, in a cruel twist of irony, they beat UConn in the national semis.

Both games were truly exciting and an excellent showcase for the women’s game.  Texas A&M and Notre Dame may not have been the best teams in the country, but were hands down the best teams in the tournament.

Should Kemba Walker be considered for Player Of The Year?

I know that the Naismith Award has yet to be handed out, and I'm sure everyone out there has their own personal favourite.  I don't know exactly how highly regarded UConn's Kemba Walker has been this season; what with all the talk about BYU's Jimmer Fredette, Ohio State's Jared Sullinger and even Duke's Nolan Smith or Kyle Singler (really??).  So where exactly does Kemba Walker fit in?


Was Gary McGhee (far right) trying to get a better view?

UConn went 9-9 during the regular season in the Big East, and their chances of improving their seeding for the NCAA tournament relied on how they would perform in the tourney.  Now we all know that the Big East is arguably the best conference in college basketball.  Just look at the final regular season standings.  A team can win the regular season this year and get blown off the map in the next one.  Same thing happens in the conference tournament.  The conference is just brutal.

To lift the crown, they would have to win five games in five days.  I really didn't think it could be done, and I'm guessing I'm not alone either.  With Walker carrying this young team on his back, UConn defied the odds and took home a record tying 7th Big East title.  After easily dispatching DePaul and Georgetown, Walker delivered in close wins against Pittsburgh (1 seed), Syracuse (4 seed) and Louisville (a 3 seed that swept the Huskies in the regular season).  Along with the MVP award, Walker also set a record for points scored and minutes played.

Don't mess with The Jimmer!!

No disrespect to Jimmer Fredette or Nolan Smith, but I doubt that they could have led their teams through that gauntlet in the Big East.  Jimmer deserves all the plaudits that he has earned, and I won't knock him should he end up winning the Naismith Award. 

He leads the nation in scoring and helped BYU to a share of the regular season title.  BYU were on course for a probable #1 seed, but a couple losses down the line, most notably in the conference title game to San Diego State, saw those plans disappear.

What remains to be seen though, is how far the Cougars will advance in the tournament without the suspended Brandon Davies (who was 3rd on the team in scoring and 1st in rebounds).  With Davies on the squad, there was some rumble of a possible Final Four appearance.  Without him, I don't see BYU advancing past the Sweet 16 (but that's just my opinion, so don't dwell on it).  Jimmer Fredette might as well be Adam Morrison 2.o.


Can Smith and Duke repeat last year's performance?

When Nolan Smith arrived at Duke, he took a back seat to Greg Paulus who was running the point.  However when Paulus struggled, Smith was plugged into the starting lineup and his star has yet to wane since then.  In addition to being named Player of The Year in the ACC, Smith helped Duke to a 3rd straight conference tournament crown (where he was also named MVP). 

Smith has played big when his team needed it the most.  During a home game against North Carolina in February, he scored 22 second half points (he had 34 total points), helping Duke overcome a 16 point deficit en route to a 79-73 win.  Not only is he good jump shooter, but his ability to cut to the hoop for a layup, or draw defenders and pass to an open player (and we all know how Duke loves to cash in on those open looks from beyond the arc) makes him a really tough matchup.  It's safe to say that he's the best guard to have played for Duke since Jason Williams.  Yes, even better than Reddick!!

Without Jimmer Fredette, BYU could still put out a decent team.  Whether or not they make the tournament is up for debate.  Without Smith, Duke might have still made the tournament because they have one thing that a lot of people wish their schools had; Coach K.  Without Walker, UConn is NIT bound.  Feel free to disagree with me, but that's just the truth.

Fiesta indeed



When Oklahoma was matched up with Connecticut, we already knew two things would happen; the Sooners would end their 5 game losing streak in BCS games, and it would also be a blowout against an over-matched opponent.  They delivered on both accounts.



Fleming's return that effectively iced the game.



Oklahoma executed on both offense and defense, delivering a win that was long overdue.  When Landry Jones found Cameron Kenney in stride for 59 yard touchdown, followed by Jamell Fleming's interception that he returned 55 yards for a score on the next series, it pretty much put the game out of reach for Connecticut; who returned the subsequent kickoff for a touchdown.  I'll give the Huskies credit though, for hanging in and trying to make the scoreline respectable.

Connecticut hadn't scored an offensive touchdown in 7 quarters of football, and even though the outcome of the game was no longer in doubt, Oklahoma still had enough gas in the tank to stuff Jordan Todman on a 4th & goal from the 2 yard line.  The way the Sooners played, you'd have thought that game was in Norman.  They moved the ball really well on offense, seeming at will sometimes, and their defense played as good as they could have at anytime this season in their run to another Big 12 Championship.

Immediately after the game, UConn running back Jordan Todman declared for the NFL draft.  The next question becomes whether OU stars Ryan Broyles and Travis Lewis will follow suit.  Broyles has set just about every receiving record at Oklahoma.  I've said this time and time again; he is the second coming of Mark Clayton.  Lewis has been a standout at the linebacker position that has featured names such as Rufus Alexander, Curtis Lofton, Lance Mitchell, Teddy Lehman, Rocky Calmus & Torrance Marshall et al.  Whether they return or not, it is likely that Oklahoma will be a preseason top 5 team.  They have a lot of returning starters on both sides of the ball, who were key players this past season.



Offensive MVP, Landry Jones

Landry Jones, along with the MVP honors, became the 3rd quarterback in the Stoops era to win a BCS game, joining Josh Heupel (2001 Orange Bowl) and Nate Hybl (2003 Rose Bowl).  He also joins Nate Hybl (who started in 2002 Cotton Bowl) as the only QB's in the Stoops Era to win 2 bowl games.  While his play has been sometimes superb and sometimes shaky, he can only get better as Oklahoma prepares for a run at the national championship next season.

While Jones played exceptionally well, my personal MVP of the game was receiver Cameron Kenney.  A juco transfer, Kenney was the culprit behind a number of dropped passes last season and this season; that saw him move down the depth chart.  He redeemed himself, making crucial catches in the Bedlam and Big 12 championship games and he closed out his OU career with 154 yards and a touchdown on 7 catches; a career night indeed.  Way to go, Kenney!!

The good thing is that now, we don't have to hear about that losing streak in BCS games anymore.  The bad this is that we'll always hear about how Connecticut should have never been in this game to begin with.  I guess that just comes with the territory.


Cardinal rule!!

There's still a winning streak going on and a certain #23 made sure that it would continue.  I'm talking about the Stanford Cardinal home game win streak at Maples Pavilion, which now stands at 53.  The #23 I'm talking about is senior guard Jeanette Pohlen, who had a game high 31 points, while helping the Cardinal end UConn's 90 game win streak.  Something had to give.




Jeanette Pohlen: the other # 23

Stanford played like a unit, out-hustling and out-rebounding the Huskies and making sure that it was going to be anyone else but Maya Moore to carry UConn to victory.  Maya Moore went 5-15 from the floor for 14 points and while she got some help from Bria Hartley (14 pts) and Kayla Farris (19 pts), it still wasn't enough to extend the streak.  UConn never even led at any point in this game; first time in five years that happened.


UConn's win streak started after a loss to Stanford in the Final Four back in 2008.  During the 90 game win streak, they beat Stanford 3 times including the last two Final Four meetings;  the national semis in 2009 and the national title game in 2010.  The other meeting was in Hartford, CT, where Stanford led at halftime but couldn't keep up with the Huskies in the second half.


Maya Moore: missing in action

Personally, I wouldn't call this Stanford win an upset.  Stanford are a legit program and have the ability to recruit on a national scale just like Connecticut.  They have enough talent to be able to win games just like these and so their win shouldn't really come as a surprise to anyone. 


What this game proves however, is that UConn will only go as far as Maya Moore will take them.  Rarely does she ever have an off night, but when she does, there's no Tina Charles or Renee Montgomery to help pick up the slack.  She is in a very similar situation to Diana Taurasi, who willed UConn to national titles in 2003 & 2004 and helped extend a winning streak that would climax at 70 games. 




Diana Taurasi: UConn legend

Diana Taurasi was a key contributor on the 2002 national championship team, but it was Sue Bird and Swin Cash who were headliners that season.  Upon their departure, the onus fell on Taurasi to carry the team and she delivered; leading to Geno Auriemma's famous quote, "We have Diana, and you don't", in response to a reporter's question as to why he felt UConn would win the 2004 title.  Taurasi not only established herself as a UConn legend, but as one the great ones to have played the women's game.


Maya Moore has already passed Taurasi on the all-time scoring chart and is on pace to set the record for most career points at Connecticut; a record that is currently held by former teammate Tina Charles.  If Moore can lead this team a national championship, she will undoubtedly be hailed as the best ever to have come through the program. 

Stanford now joins both Notre Dame's football and men's basketball programs on the list of legend slayers.  Oklahoma's 47 game win streak in football started and ended with a loss to the Fighting Irish; the UCLA men's basketball also tasted a little Irish luck during their 88 game win streak. 

Both Stanford and Connecticut of course will move on to their next games, but don't be surprised if they end up playing each other for the national championship.

89 consecutive wins; but where is the R.E.S.P.E.C.T!!

The Connecticut women's basketball team now hold the longest winning streak in Division 1 college basketball, courtesy of a 92-63 rout of Florida State.  It doesn't matter whether you talk about men's or women's hoops; we are just talking Division One hoops, period.

Maya Moore making it happen

In such a crucial game, it was only fitting that Maya Moore took center stage to bring home the win and make sure that this Connecticut would go down in history as one of the best teams to ever grace the hardwood.  Moore did it all; inside and out, on her way to a career high 41 points.  Also getting in on the action were Tiffany Hayes (14 points) and Bria Hartley (21 points), who is being tipped as the next big star for this program.


Outside of Maya Moore, Lorin Dixon and Caroline Doty, the current crop of Husky players have yet to play on a losing team.  They probably couldn't spell it if you drilled them.  UConn survived Baylor earlier in the season and play Stanford on the 30th of this month; the last team to beat them, in case you forgot.


Prior to writing this article, I stopped by a few forums to check out what people thought about UConn and women's basketball in general.  What I read didn't surprise me at all, in fact some of the comments were downright stupid if you ask me.  There was a large number of people who were simply happy for the lady Huskies, while others said that they couldn't even beat an average boys high school team.  Seriously?


the man of the hour

Regardless of what people may say, UConn has managed to accomplish something that is very rare and we may never get to see again in our lifetime.  There is some truth about the lack of parity in the women's game; but that argument completely undermines the great job that the UConn staff does when it comes to recruiting and coaching.

A good number of comments stated that "Geno Auriemma should coach men's basketball".  What more does he need to prove?  Maybe women's basketball is "boring" because they actually learn the fundamentals, play as a team and the players actually graduate from school.  Maybe that is why it is possible to establish dominant programs in the women's game.  In the men's game, you're dealing with players who only care about improving their draft stock and what kind of shoe deal they'll get once they declare for the draft; so you're looking at a situation where you're recruiting a lot of one-and-done players.  You can't be dominant when your best players don't stick around, right?  I'm not saying that Auriemma can't coach men, but who would want to give up a good thing?

The immortal John Wooden

Of course, the biggest story of the evening is UConn surpassing the 88 game win streak, set by John Wooden's UCLA teams from 1971-1974.  First of all, these are two different teams from two different eras.  While it's still basketball, men's hoops and women's hoops are two different brands.  You can not compare these two teams against each other.  It is not and will never be the same thing; at all.


When, if ever, will people learn to not read too much into everything that's put out there.  The media has done more than it's fair share of bringing this discussion to the table, and people have take the bait; hook, line and sinker.  People are talking indeed, whether or not they watch the women's game.  It's plain and simple, you either root for them, root against them or you just don't care.


Just because UCLA's record was against men's teams, and Connecticut's record was against women's teams, does not make the Huskies' record any less relevant.  UCLA's record was, is and will always be relevant given the fact no other men's program has even come close to accomplishing what they did.  What these two teams have in common, is that they beat the teams in front of them; which is what they are supposed to do if they want to win, right?

Whether Connecticut measures up to UCLA isn't the topic here, because it's not even relevant.  These ladies shouldn't be victims of their own success.  To keep it simple, give respect where it's due; they earned it.  Take it for what it is, congratulate them, give them a pat on the back or whatever and just leave them be; they've got a streak to preserve.

UConn Lady Huskies; 88 and counting.......

Should the UConn lady Huskies emerge victorious against Florida State tonight, they will be in sole possession of the longest winning streak in college basketball (division 1 at least) period.  At 88 wins, they are currently tied with UCLA men's basketball team of the early 70's for consecutive games won.

Maya Moore; the alpha husky.

You'd have to go all the way back to April 2008, in the National Semifinals, to see when this team last lost a game.  Maya Moore, UConn's all-everything, was a freshman back then, and the top rated Huskies lost to a Candice Wiggins-inspired Stanford team; avenging an earlier loss to the Huskies in the process.

Maya Moore was the focus of a recruiting war between Tennessee and Connecticut, that was so intense, it strained the "working" relationship between Pat Summitt (Vols coach) and Geno Auriemma; and even led to the cancellation of their regular season series between these 2 powerhouses.  I say "working" relationship, because these two coaches could, quite honestly, care less for the other.  It's there for everyone to see (Am I the only one here who thinks that maybe these 2 need a room?).

With regards to the series being cancelled, despite one year left on the contract, Pat Summitt said that it would help Tennessee develop other rivalries, while Geno Auriemma -who's never been known to pull any punches - called out Summitt for claiming that UConn cheated to get Moore.  Go figure.

Having seen Moore play for three years now, I can see what the hype was all about.  She is playing head and shoulders above everyone else.  She is to coach Auriemma what Rebecca Lobo, Swin Cash, Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi have been in seasons before.  He sure can recruit them can't he?

When the streak started, the Huskies were anchored by Tina Charles and Renee Montgomery.  After Montgomery left, the onus fell on Tina Charles to lead the team.  Charles did her work on the inside, swatting anything and everything withing 3 feet of the rim, while Moore covered the perimeter.  When all else failed, there was one solution; pass the ball to Moore.  This was the case when she single-handedly bailed a struggling team during last year's championship against Stanford.

This season, it's all about Maya Moore.  Everyone knows who's going to take the most shots, and who's getting the ball when the game's on the line.  It's really not rocket science.  Yet somehow, she just can't be stopped.  Of course, this is a team sport and everyone else is playing their part; but without Maya Moore, this streak would have ended a lot sooner.

What UConn have achieved already is remarkable.  However, questions are flying in left and right, asking whether this win streak is bad for women's basketball; a sport that hardly gets any "recognition" if at all.  Would they be getting this much attention if they weren't close to tying the 88 game streak by the UCLA men.  Would anyone even care had the streak ended earlier?  Would the Huskies be better served by losing now rather later in the season?

Whatever the questions may be, one thing stands out loud and clear; people are paying attention.  Whether they care for the sport or not, they are watching.  They might not watch each and every game, but they will try and catch up to see how the Huskies are doing.  That can only mean that the win streak is good for women's basketball; I've never known anything bad to come out of winning.  So when the streak does come to an end, it still won't take away from what these ladies have managed to accomplish.

Would the Huskies be better off losing now rather than later?  Let's keep watching and we'll find out, won't we? 

Third time's a charm; Glendale here we come!!!

Hopefully, we have all by now got over the fact that Oklahoma will be playing the Connecticut Huskies, the Big East champions.  I don't think I'm wrong in assuming that most OU fans were hoping for a rematch with Stanford (from last year's Sun Bowl), or maybe a showdown with Ohio State or Arkansas.  What we got instead, was a team with an 8-4 record and is ranked #26 in the BCS standings (I didn't know that they went that far).

Before I get on the "Oklahoma's going to blow out UConn" bandwagon, you'd be surprised at how much these two teams have in common on their road to Glendale, AZ.  Both teams were written off after losing 2 conference games.  They both put in strong defensive performances down the stretch, to go along with a combined 9 game win streak (4 for Oklahoma, 5 for UConn).  They both won their last conference games by a field goal (UConn beat South Florida 19-16 on last minute field goal, while Oklahoma beat Nebraska 23-20).

That being said, if there was anytime that Oklahoma needed to end its 5 game losing streak in BCS games, this would be it.  Oklahoma however is in a "no-win" situation.  If they win, well, they were supposed to.  If they lose, then it's another BCS bust.  Oklahoma's last BCS win was against a Washington State team that has gone 35-61 since that Rose Bowl.  Since then, Oklahoma has been the punchline to many a joke in Baton Rouge, Los Angeles, Boise and Morgantown.

Last time Oklahoma was in a "no-win" situation like this one, it was against a Boise State team that was making it's first appearance in a BCS bowl game.  In defense of the Broncos, they had posted a record of 85-16 (4-2 in bowl games) going into that match-up.  They were a well coached team and knew how to execute; and I really don't have to tell you how the game ended.

Then came West Virginia.  A team that had lost their coach 3 weeks before playing OU.  Prior to that, they had fallen a game short of playing in the National Championship game.  So you'd be forgiven for thinking that they would be lacking any inspiration or motivation going into the Fiesta Bowl against a red-hot Oklahoma team.  What many people overlook is the fact that the Mountaineers were riding a 32-5 record (2-0 in bowl games), and were very much a championship calibre team.  So they had EVERY reason to show that they still had some fire left.  And did they show up ever!!!  Playing the way they did, they could have beaten ANY team that night.

So in this third trip, I'm sure that Oklahoma will look at where they've failed in their past trips to the Fiesta Bowl.  Whether it may be conservative play calling, execution on both sides of the ball, over confidence; I really don't know.  Even though they'll be highly favored against Connecticut, Oklahoma will be playing with a chip on its shoulder.  And that is when they play best.