YCN
03-29-2002, 02:34 PM
I originally posted this on another board for a special topic discussion, but it rightfully belongs here as well.
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OK, so it's about time for Final Four!
All the pretenders have departed the Dance, and we're runnin' with the big dogs now: Connecticut, Tennessee, Duke, and Oklahoma.
No excuses, and no tomorrows for those who can't find a way to win.
It's Showtime, and it is going to be big and glorious!
Can the overwhelming favorite Huskies finish out the 39-0 dream season, thereby grabbing the mantle of "the best women's team of all time"? Is this the true destiny of the ultra talented seniors Swin Cash, Tamika Williams, Asjha Jones and Sue Bird, along with super-soph Diana Taurasi - the immortality of a season to be remembered forever?
Can Duke's talented young duo of Alana Beard and Iciss Tillis take them to the promised land? Will their supporting cast of Sheana Mosch and tall freshmen Monique Curry and Wynter Whitley be good enough to propel them all the way?
Can the slighted but legendary Pat Summitt help the Lady Vols find the right combination of team strength and cohesion in the nick of time? Can Michelle Snow hold her own against this level of competition, and finally show the desire to match the talent that she should have been bringing to the court for a long time now? Can a team by committee somehow pull off the improbable dream?
Or can the oft-overlooked Sooners, in their first Final Four, show everyone they are the best by overcoming the magnificent Huskies, or the Vols, or the Devils? Will the deluxe duo of LaNeishea Caufield and Stacey Dales, along with steady fellow seniors Roz Ross and Jamie Talbert find the magic combination of teamwork and desire that brings the ultimate prize to Norman?
According to the experts, Duke and OU are playing for runner-up, while the real championship game is tomorrow between Uconn and UT. What do you think? Don't you feel just a bit put off by that?
Ctsooner and I had a very pleasant discussion earlier today about the prospects of the various teams and have some thoughts to share.
We both agree (this is a no-brainer) that UConn is the team to beat, and that OU is a close second. (Yes, a close second.)
In addition we both believe that while Duke and Tennessee are both fine teams, they are more star-centered than team-centered, and that the lack of great TEAM play will be their downfalls in the semifinal round.
I don't know about ctsooner, but I wouldn't particularly want the self-absorbed Michelle Snow on my team. I think Kara Lawson is a very fine guard, but only the third best point in her conference. Ctsooner believes that if Diana Taurasi was playing for Duke instead of Beard, she would be a bigger star than Beard, and I wholeheartedly agree.
Ctsooner made the very fine point regarding the impact that assistant coach Stacy Hansmeyer has had on this Sooner team, what with her national championship ring, and the experience of knowing what it takes to grab the prize. Not only that, he believes that she will provide invaluable insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the seniors on the Connecticut squad, and that her presence MIGHT be the one thing that can propel the Sooners to the championship.
We both agree that UConn isn't overrated, but they aren't unbeatable either, and it won't take a perfect game to beat them, just a great one.
I believe that Coach Sherri Coale is holding back on us, that there is something she knows that others don't, but she won't unveil that surprise unless and until the Sooners make the championship game.
Want to know the secret weapon?
Because of UConn's great ability to dominate the boards, I believe that OU will focus on running plays that end up with a shot being taken with 3 or more Sooners in the paint, to counteract some of the advantage the Huskies have.
We both had considerable discussion about the remarkable similarities between the Huskies and Sooners, and about the great coaching relationship shared between Geno and Sherri, although we didn't really discuss how it has helped BOTH teams. Is that a topic, or what?
I'll bet that ctsooner would agree with me that this promises to be possibly the most exciting Final Four in history. What do others think about the potential "home court" advantage of playing in the Alamodome?
The possibilities for discussion here are almost limitless, but as a final note, I found it profound that ctsooner said that he believed of all the coaches out there, the two most resembling the legend John Wooden are none other than Geno and Sherri.
(update - I'm on pins-and-needles right now, as gametime approaches. In fact, I may have to get home early just to calm down a little before the game starts. Good luck Sooners!)
--------------------------------------------------------------
OK, so it's about time for Final Four!
All the pretenders have departed the Dance, and we're runnin' with the big dogs now: Connecticut, Tennessee, Duke, and Oklahoma.
No excuses, and no tomorrows for those who can't find a way to win.
It's Showtime, and it is going to be big and glorious!
Can the overwhelming favorite Huskies finish out the 39-0 dream season, thereby grabbing the mantle of "the best women's team of all time"? Is this the true destiny of the ultra talented seniors Swin Cash, Tamika Williams, Asjha Jones and Sue Bird, along with super-soph Diana Taurasi - the immortality of a season to be remembered forever?
Can Duke's talented young duo of Alana Beard and Iciss Tillis take them to the promised land? Will their supporting cast of Sheana Mosch and tall freshmen Monique Curry and Wynter Whitley be good enough to propel them all the way?
Can the slighted but legendary Pat Summitt help the Lady Vols find the right combination of team strength and cohesion in the nick of time? Can Michelle Snow hold her own against this level of competition, and finally show the desire to match the talent that she should have been bringing to the court for a long time now? Can a team by committee somehow pull off the improbable dream?
Or can the oft-overlooked Sooners, in their first Final Four, show everyone they are the best by overcoming the magnificent Huskies, or the Vols, or the Devils? Will the deluxe duo of LaNeishea Caufield and Stacey Dales, along with steady fellow seniors Roz Ross and Jamie Talbert find the magic combination of teamwork and desire that brings the ultimate prize to Norman?
According to the experts, Duke and OU are playing for runner-up, while the real championship game is tomorrow between Uconn and UT. What do you think? Don't you feel just a bit put off by that?
Ctsooner and I had a very pleasant discussion earlier today about the prospects of the various teams and have some thoughts to share.
We both agree (this is a no-brainer) that UConn is the team to beat, and that OU is a close second. (Yes, a close second.)
In addition we both believe that while Duke and Tennessee are both fine teams, they are more star-centered than team-centered, and that the lack of great TEAM play will be their downfalls in the semifinal round.
I don't know about ctsooner, but I wouldn't particularly want the self-absorbed Michelle Snow on my team. I think Kara Lawson is a very fine guard, but only the third best point in her conference. Ctsooner believes that if Diana Taurasi was playing for Duke instead of Beard, she would be a bigger star than Beard, and I wholeheartedly agree.
Ctsooner made the very fine point regarding the impact that assistant coach Stacy Hansmeyer has had on this Sooner team, what with her national championship ring, and the experience of knowing what it takes to grab the prize. Not only that, he believes that she will provide invaluable insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the seniors on the Connecticut squad, and that her presence MIGHT be the one thing that can propel the Sooners to the championship.
We both agree that UConn isn't overrated, but they aren't unbeatable either, and it won't take a perfect game to beat them, just a great one.
I believe that Coach Sherri Coale is holding back on us, that there is something she knows that others don't, but she won't unveil that surprise unless and until the Sooners make the championship game.
Want to know the secret weapon?
Because of UConn's great ability to dominate the boards, I believe that OU will focus on running plays that end up with a shot being taken with 3 or more Sooners in the paint, to counteract some of the advantage the Huskies have.
We both had considerable discussion about the remarkable similarities between the Huskies and Sooners, and about the great coaching relationship shared between Geno and Sherri, although we didn't really discuss how it has helped BOTH teams. Is that a topic, or what?
I'll bet that ctsooner would agree with me that this promises to be possibly the most exciting Final Four in history. What do others think about the potential "home court" advantage of playing in the Alamodome?
The possibilities for discussion here are almost limitless, but as a final note, I found it profound that ctsooner said that he believed of all the coaches out there, the two most resembling the legend John Wooden are none other than Geno and Sherri.
(update - I'm on pins-and-needles right now, as gametime approaches. In fact, I may have to get home early just to calm down a little before the game starts. Good luck Sooners!)