UCLA IS OVERRATED!

[bigfan]

keystonekid said:

To me it isn't so much that they are overrated, its more of a case of the fact that when we think of a team being ranked #5 we think of them being directly in the hunt for a title. They aren't.

USC and UW will be in the hunt.....UCLA will be if Banachowski does not burn out his players in the late season from practicing too much.....which is his achilles heal.

[mervynpumpkinhead]

bigfan said:

keystonekid said:

To me it isn't so much that they are overrated, its more of a case of the fact that when we think of a team being ranked #5 we think of them being directly in the hunt for a title. They aren't.

USC and UW will be in the hunt.....UCLA will be if Banachowski does not burn out his players in the late season from practicing too much.....which is his achilles heal.

I think it's a 3-horse race between Penn State, Nebraska, and Stanford, with Texas being a darkhorse. That's it.

[Keystonekid]

USC and UW will be good and be in the hunt to get to a final four, but they are a level below the top few. This is a 3-4 team race.

[ooreo46]

Nellie Spicer is what Kanoe Kamanao was to Hawaii. She turns a bad pass into a hittable ball. Spicer has a great set of hands. She'll get her team to score.

[Deleted]

keystonekid said:

USC and UW will be good and be in the hunt to get to a final four, but they are a level below the top few. This is a 3-4 team race.

It's a 3-4 team race if those 3-4 teams play to their potential. There's no guarantee they will.

And I'd say Florida and USC should make it 5-6 teams if _they_ were to play to their potential, especially USC.

[ay2013]

I DO think that UCLA is a contener, but they are overrated in the rankings. Alot of peope talk about Penn State and Texas now challenging for the title along with Stanford and Nebraska, but anyone that rules out the other 3 big Pac-10 schools are kidding themselves. The Pac-10 has had like at least two teams in the final four forever and I don't see why this year should be any different. Like I said, Washington only lost it's setter, and if the new one can come in and be just 60% of what Thompson was, I say they still beat out UCLA (considering what UCLA lost). My rankings would look something like this

1-Nebraska
2-Stanford
3-Penn State
4-USC
5-Texas
6-Washington
7-Florida
8-UCLA
9-Hawaii
10-Minnesota

[mervynpumpkinhead]

ay2013 said:

I DO think that UCLA is a contener, but they are overrated in the rankings. Alot of peope talk about Penn State and Texas now challenging for the title along with Stanford and Nebraska, but anyone that rules out the other 3 big Pac-10 schools are kidding themselves. The Pac-10 has had like at least two teams in the final four forever and I don't see why this year should be any different. Like I said, Washington only lost it's setter, and if the new one can come in and be just 60% of what Thompson was, I say they still beat out UCLA (considering what UCLA lost). My rankings would look something like this

1-Nebraska
2-Stanford
3-Penn State
4-USC
5-Texas
6-Washington
7-Florida
8-UCLA
9-Hawaii
10-Minnesota

I'll go ahead and kid myself. Washington, USC, UCLA, might get to the final four, but they're not gonna win it all.

[sasa]

ruffda said:

keystonekid said:

USC and UW will be good and be in the hunt to get to a final four, but they are a level below the top few. This is a 3-4 team race.

It's a 3-4 team race if those 3-4 teams play to their potential. There's no guarantee they will.

And I'd say Florida and USC should make it 5-6 teams if _they_ were to play to their potential, especially USC.

I agree with Ruffda's post, except I say 'especially Florida'. Lots of solid 'All American' experience at key positions with some potential superstar freshmen added to the mix...

[pedro el leon]

If there is any team with something to prove it is Penn State and Texas. Both need to show that they can win a big match in the tournament before I will call them contenders... especially Penn State, every year they have "the best" talent and never make it out of the regionals, even when they are hosting a regional.

[ay2013]

kevin said:

If there is any team with something to prove it is Penn State and Texas. Both need to show that they can win a big match in the tournament before I will call them contenders... especially Penn State, every year they have "the best" talent and never make it out of the regionals, even when they are hosting a regional.

I argree... the big 4 in the pac 10 and nebraska have been a model of consistency over the past 4 years now...penn state and texas need to step it up

[ay2013]

kevin said:

If there is any team with something to prove it is Penn State and Texas. Both need to show that they can win a big match in the tournament before I will call them contenders... especially Penn State, every year they have "the best" talent and never make it out of the regionals, even when they are hosting a regional.

Also, both Penn State and Texas have the big outside hitters, but I think that both are a level under UCLA's setter and Washington's defense (Libero/Middles) and I think when it comes down to it, at the end of the season, in the regional finals, that is what could keep Penn State and Texas from yet another final four. I mean all of the top teams now are loaded with big hitters, except perhaps UCLA, but they have quality hitters. When it gets down to the last 8 or so the difference won't be who can terminate the ball but who can keep it in play and run the best offense...and I think Washington and UCLA do it better. But that's just me and perhaps my west coast bias

[Ye Olde Dawg]

Penn State very nearly made it to the FF last year. If not for Washington playing over their heads in front of a home crowd (and Hodge's attack of Freshman Jitters), I think they would have. And last year's experience will give the PSU players a little more focus. Hodge won't have a game like that again, and everyone will be just more mature and more focused.

So I think this is the year they will prove something. If the bracket is very unkind to them Nebraska or Stanford just might knock them off prematurely, but otherwise I'd expect to see them in the final four. I don't expect them to win it all, but making it one year is good preparation for winning it the next.

Nebraska and Stanford look to be juggernauts, destined to meet in the finals. 'Nuff said.

Texas and Florida are kind of in the same boat. They have to prove they can win big matches consistently. I'd rate their chances as very similar to USC, UCLA, and Washington, but where the Pac-10 teams have big question marks because of specific players who've left, Texas and Florida have question marks just because of the teams' histories.

Minnesota? Wisconsin? Hawaii? Well, the Wahine will always be #1 in the hearts of their fans, and I hope the others can say the same. But these teams are likely to reach their peaks in the regionals.

[sasa]

I actually don't see Washington's chances that much better than the wahine, and also see them reaching their peak at the regionals. I'd say UCLA, Washington, Minnesota, and Hawaii around the same level. I think Florida, Texas, and Penn State are below the top two. Having said that, I like Hawaii's chances against any team except the top two...and Florida.

[sasa]

Forgot about USC, which I would say is in the same tier as Florida, Texas, and Penn State.

[ersatzhusker]

sankyu said:

Penn State very nearly made it to the FF last year. If not for Washington playing over their heads in front of a home crowd (and Hodge's attack of Freshman Jitters), I think they would have. (snip) Nebraska and Stanford look to be juggernauts, destined to meet in the finals. (snip) Texas and Florida are kind of in the same boat. [etc, etc]

IMO and many others, there are at least 8 teams which CAN win the NC. But, VBall is such a mental and momentum game that truly any given decent team can beat a great team on any given night. E.g., Colorado late last year beating NU mostly because NU's head wasn't in the game.

So...who's mentally the toughest during the NCAA Tourney and who has a good enough coach? I'll show my prejudice and vote for NU who have plenty of both.

I respect Stanford, but they won't win it in 2007 partly because they have two frosh who are great on paper but will probably hit the wall at that time; 2008 will be different. I'll pick PSU in the final against NU instead. Other than those 3, I think it's a free for all and will just sit back and watch and enjoy.

As for UCLA and Washington, I'll take Texas or Florida over either one.