Ladies Night

I don't normally do this because frankly, for the most part, I don't care about Women's College Basketball but I have to give some props to the ladies. How can I not? This team loses two big-time players, including Monique Currie who went really high in the WNBA Draft, and they are picked to finish a distant 3rd in the ACC this year and what do they do? They go undefeated 29-0. One thing about the top ladies programs, which usually isn't indicative of the men is that in order for these teams to get on national television, they have to schedule each other. So, for instance, this 29-0 is not watered down sort of like St. Joseph's undefeated run until they lost to Xavier in the A-10 Tourney was in 2004. This team is 10-0 against Top 25 teams, including an astounding 4 wins over Top 5 opponents. They've beaten UNC twice, Maryland (the national champion last year) twice, Tennessee (on the road with Bruce Pearl not wearing anything but orange body paint which was like one big dry heave), and UCONN.

Even though I've only seen bits and pieces of a few games, this team looks like they have it all. They have Allison Bales, who at 6'7'' would make me nervous if I met up with her in an alley, Lindsey Harding who is probably the favorite for POY, and Abby Waner, Greg Paulus' boo, who may even be a better shooter than he is.

The problem with this team is the same problem that plagued Duke in the late 80s and early 90s: the perception that their coach, Coach G, can't win the big game. Many people forget but before Roy Williams got the royal treatment for not winning the big game, Coach K was vehemently criticized for not winning one. He had come up short in 86, 88, 89, and 90 and there were murmurs who would bail to the NBA to take the Celtics job because he couldn't handle the unfair criticism he received. Now, 3 Championships, 700 wins, and 6 more Final 4's later and all of those critics seem to be hiding. Unfortunately, for Coach G, the same perception will exist. I believe she's made it to 4 Final 4's including the title game last season where in vintage Duke fashion, they blew a huge 2nd Half lead to fall to Maryland in OT.

No matter what, they have the #1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. So, the age old argument appears: Would a loss be beneficial to the Blue Devils to alleviate some pressure? Some would say yes, I would say no just because even if they lose, they have been far and away the best team in the nation that even a loss wouldn't alleviate the pressure they have to win a national title. Good luck to the ladies. This will be my first and last post for the ladies unless they cut down the nets the first week in April, hopefully, at least in my fantasy world, a day after the men's team does the same.