(04-06-2024 12:46 AM)bryanw1995 Wrote:  

(04-05-2024 11:12 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  Would not go as far as one of the worst calls. There were some light touch fouls and harder no calls during the game. But the UConn player did raise her elbow up and out and was moving in the direction the Iowa player was going. It was a foul. Besides, anytime a UConn basketball program loses, is a great day for UMass fans.
Video of the foul.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1776454711886889013

That was a terrible call. TERRIBLE. I had to watch it 3 times to even figure out it was on the girl setting the screen. Even then, I had to see it in slow motion.

Nothing was worse this whole tournament, men or woman, than Samford's late block on Kansas being called a foul.

Tough end to a great UConn season. They were playing short handed and it likely cost them at the end. One thing that can be admired though from UConn's standpoint is their defensive performance on Caitlin Clark. 21 points is tied for her season low and in that game she only played 26 minutes in a 100-62 point blowout. UConn wasn't ready for Hannah Stuelke. Hannah scored 47 points in a game earlier this season but you could say this game really made her a bigger star. Paige also had just 17. I'm sure Iowa went into the game with the same game plan to stop Paige as UConn did to stop Caitlin and Iowa was the better team overall.

I definitely feel confident heading into next season with Paige coming back and with even decent health UConn should be back in the Final Four and competing for a national championship again although I certainly underestimated Nika Muhl's presence on this team, she will be tough to replace (I always knew Aaliyah Edwards would be tough to replace).

At least we have the final that everyone who isn't a Paige Bueckers SuperFan wants to see, the Player of the Year Caitlin Clark vs. undefeated South Carolina. Can Caitlin win a national championship and cement her legacy or will South Carolina finish an undefeated season after being stopped by Iowa last year in the semifinals?

(04-06-2024 06:29 AM)schmolik Wrote:  At least we have the final that everyone who isn't a Paige Bueckers SuperFan wants to see, the Player of the Year Caitlin Clark vs. undefeated South Carolina. Can Caitlin win a national championship and cement her legacy or will South Carolina finish an undefeated season after being stopped by Iowa last year in the semifinals?

That would be amazing to see if Clark and Iowa could upset South Carolina again. But South Carolina is gonna be a big favorite. If somehow Iowa pulls the upset, Caitlin Clark could be the difference between South Carolina being a 3-peat dynasty, or South Carolina being just a 1-time champion.

(04-06-2024 12:46 AM)bryanw1995 Wrote:  

(04-05-2024 11:12 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  Would not go as far as one of the worst calls. There were some light touch fouls and harder no calls during the game. But the UConn player did raise her elbow up and out and was moving in the direction the Iowa player was going. It was a foul. Besides, anytime a UConn basketball program loses, is a great day for UMass fans.
Video of the foul.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1776454711886889013

That was a terrible call. TERRIBLE. I had to watch it 3 times to even figure out it was on the girl setting the screen. Even then, I had to see it in slow motion.

The worst part is we will never know now if UConn would even had got off a decent shot. Time was winding down and it looked like they were trying to set up Paige to shoot a tough 3-pointer that would have been contested, even if Gabby Marshal was was screened. Still, Paige is a great player so she still might have hit that shot for the game winner. I doubt it, but now we will never know.

It's calls like that where conspiracy theories come from.

It's amazing how the team that will get the higher TV ratings always gets the crucial calls.

Or in this case, the ref may as well have went over to the ref mic and said WE NEED CAITLYN CLARK IN THE FINAL GAME.

(04-06-2024 12:17 AM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(04-05-2024 10:34 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(04-05-2024 10:31 PM)stever20 Wrote:  what a freaking brilliant play by Clark there to bounce the ball off of Paige.

It was a great game ruined at the 4 second mark by a totally crappy call in which the officials took the game away from the players on a very iffy offensive foul call. I had no rooting interest and was simply watching what would have been a miss and win by Iowa or a make and win by UConn. Then the official took over in what on the screen didn't look like a foul at all.

It was an illegal screen. An offensive foul. She was moving her feet and extended her arm and blocked the defensive player. That is not a hard call, except for the fact that the game was on the line and in many late game situations the refs swallow their whistle and just let them play.

I was for UConn but I agree - it was a good call. The UConn player pushed off.

(04-06-2024 06:29 AM)schmolik Wrote:  At least we have the final that everyone who isn't a Paige Bueckers SuperFan wants to see, the Player of the Year Caitlin Clark vs. undefeated South Carolina. Can Caitlin win a national championship and cement her legacy or will South Carolina finish an undefeated season after being stopped by Iowa last year in the semifinals?

It's a compelling final, that's for sure. I'll be watching.

(04-06-2024 08:00 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-06-2024 06:29 AM)schmolik Wrote:  At least we have the final that everyone who isn't a Paige Bueckers SuperFan wants to see, the Player of the Year Caitlin Clark vs. undefeated South Carolina. Can Caitlin win a national championship and cement her legacy or will South Carolina finish an undefeated season after being stopped by Iowa last year in the semifinals?

It's a compelling final, that's for sure. I'll be watching.

There ya go.

Moving screen call in the last 10 seconds of the game explained.

(04-06-2024 08:12 AM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  

(04-06-2024 08:00 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-06-2024 06:29 AM)schmolik Wrote:  At least we have the final that everyone who isn't a Paige Bueckers SuperFan wants to see, the Player of the Year Caitlin Clark vs. undefeated South Carolina. Can Caitlin win a national championship and cement her legacy or will South Carolina finish an undefeated season after being stopped by Iowa last year in the semifinals?

It's a compelling final, that's for sure. I'll be watching.

There ya go.

Moving screen call in the last 10 seconds of the game explained.

Well, FWIW, I think UConn vs SC would have been just as compelling, and I'd have watched too.

(04-05-2024 10:33 PM)RUScarlets Wrote:  Well, controversial finish with the ref getting paid off to call the offensive on UConn, but yeah, great game.

Forget that PoS Men’s Final on Monday with UConn and backstabbing Cam Spencer. All about Sunday this weekend and that’s a wrap for me.

Who peed in your cornflakes?

(04-06-2024 08:42 AM)ken d Wrote:  

(04-05-2024 10:33 PM)RUScarlets Wrote:  Well, controversial finish with the ref getting paid off to call the offensive on UConn, but yeah, great game.

Forget that PoS Men’s Final on Monday with UConn and backstabbing Cam Spencer. All about Sunday this weekend and that’s a wrap for me.

Who peed in your cornflakes?

UConn by double digits in both games. If it smells like a turd it is a turd. Good for Huskie fans though. No ill will.

Anyway, the women’s final will peak with over 20 million viewers at some point. Let’s see what other events aside from the NFL top that.

ESPN really didn't have the good angle on this for some reason.

look at this angle-

(04-06-2024 08:56 AM)stever20 Wrote:  ESPN really didn't have the good angle on this for some reason.

look at this angle-

Yes, in that shot the UConn player was never set, but always moving in the direction of the defensive players movement and after moving her left foot and shifting to the left the right foot is still sliding. That said the refs let a lot go in the first half, but from the beginning of the second half, you could see the refs calling even some light touches a foul. The above is not even a questionable call.

(04-05-2024 09:53 PM)goofus Wrote:  Game tied with 3 minutes left in 3Q

Both teams look tired. UConn has a couple players in foul trouble.

I looked at the box score after the game. UConn only played 6 players and 2 played all 40 minutes. Iowa only used 8 and their 3 reserves played a combined 7 minutes.

(04-06-2024 08:56 AM)stever20 Wrote:  ESPN really didn't have the good angle on this for some reason.

look at this angle-

Yeah. She actually reached her arms out and blocked her. And it was stupid because the defender was already behind the play. Even though it was a foul it didn't really effect the play. The ref should have let it go.

feels like this is so true-

(04-06-2024 08:48 AM)RUScarlets Wrote:  

(04-06-2024 08:42 AM)ken d Wrote:  

(04-05-2024 10:33 PM)RUScarlets Wrote:  Well, controversial finish with the ref getting paid off to call the offensive on UConn, but yeah, great game.

Forget that PoS Men’s Final on Monday with UConn and backstabbing Cam Spencer. All about Sunday this weekend and that’s a wrap for me.

Who peed in your cornflakes?

UConn by double digits in both games. If it smells like a turd it is a turd. Good for Huskie fans though. No ill will.

Anyway, the women’s final will peak with over 20 million viewers at some point. Let’s see what other events aside from the NFL top that.

The women’s final is going to get a huge number, although we’ll see if 20 million viewers will happen. (The fact that it’s even a possibility is extraordinary.) That being said, the Michigan-Alabama Rose Bowl CFP semifinal averaged over 27 million viewers (with 32 million viewers at the peak at the end of the game) and the national championship game averaged over 25 million viewers. Not shockingly, college football elimination games get monster viewership (particularly if they have large brands involved).

(04-06-2024 08:19 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-06-2024 08:12 AM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  

(04-06-2024 08:00 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-06-2024 06:29 AM)schmolik Wrote:  At least we have the final that everyone who isn't a Paige Bueckers SuperFan wants to see, the Player of the Year Caitlin Clark vs. undefeated South Carolina. Can Caitlin win a national championship and cement her legacy or will South Carolina finish an undefeated season after being stopped by Iowa last year in the semifinals?

It's a compelling final, that's for sure. I'll be watching.

There ya go.

Moving screen call in the last 10 seconds of the game explained.

Well, FWIW, I think UConn vs SC would have been just as compelling, and I'd have NBCwatched too.

Listening to ESPN, CNN, CBS, and NBC sports media, coverage of highlights are overwhelmingly about Caitlin Clark and Iowa, including the controversial ref call near the end of the game.
South Carolina, the #1 ranked team all season, undefeated, and do have a couple of standout players of their own; comparatively, are receiving way less focus. The Gamecocks essentially get mentioned as Caitlin’s and Iowa’s next opponent. Dawn Staley was interviewed by the ESPN coverage team during the UCONN-Iowa game break, but the dominating hype has been Caitlyn and Iowa since.

(04-06-2024 01:50 PM)OdinFrigg Wrote:  

(04-06-2024 08:19 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-06-2024 08:12 AM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  

(04-06-2024 08:00 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-06-2024 06:29 AM)schmolik Wrote:  At least we have the final that everyone who isn't a Paige Bueckers SuperFan wants to see, the Player of the Year Caitlin Clark vs. undefeated South Carolina. Can Caitlin win a national championship and cement her legacy or will South Carolina finish an undefeated season after being stopped by Iowa last year in the semifinals?

It's a compelling final, that's for sure. I'll be watching.

There ya go.

Moving screen call in the last 10 seconds of the game explained.

Well, FWIW, I think UConn vs SC would have been just as compelling, and I'd have NBCwatched too.

Listening to ESPN, CNN, CBS, and NBC sports media, coverage of highlights are overwhelmingly about Caitlin Collins and Iowa, including the controversial ref call near the end of the game.
South Carolina, the #1 ranked team all season, undefeated, and do have a couple of standout players of their own; comparatively, are receiving way less focus. The Gamecocks essentially get mentioned as Caitlin’s and Iowa’s next opponent. Dawn Staley was interviewed by the ESPN coverage team during the UCONN-Iowa game break, but the dominating hype has been Caitlyn and Iowa since.

I don't know if it works, but the hype in sports now, especially basketball, is all about the star players. Baseball and football have been following basketball's lead on that in recent years, instead of being about the team.