A day after Syracuse Orange head coach Felisha Legette-Jack blasted the NCAA selection committee for constantly placing them in the same bracket as UConn in the NCAA Tournament, college basketball analyst McNutt Monica responded to the stern remarks of the head coach.
This whole saga follows another disappointing exit for Syracuse from the NCAA Tournament and it was once again UConn who threw them out of the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies convincingly defeated the Orange 98-45 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Legette-Jack expressed her frustration, calling the repeated matchups with UConn “unfair” and even a “personal attack” on her program. She added that constantly being sent to play UConn, often near their home court, is “unacceptable” and “wrong.”
In response, Monica said she understands Legette-Jack’s frustration, calling them “fair,” given UConn has been a thorn in her side even when she was the coach of the University of Buffalo.
“I think it is totally fair for her to call that out. It has been her experience. There are some points made, but based on the structure, Greeny, the way that things are set up, it’s kind of a tough cookie,” Monica said.
“I’m not saying that she’s wrong to point that out, but just in terms of the regional nature of the women’s NCAA tournament, that’s kind of the way it goes. Now, the only thing that I can think of, you get to a position where you’re one of those top 16 seeds, where you have the opportunity to host, and that is your counter to that, but that one’s just kind of tough. I don’t think that Coach Jack is wrong for calling that out, but I was kind of like, that’s the way it goes.”
However, Monica did not agree with Legette-Jack’s “personal attack” part.
“The personal attack, you sort of lost me, but again, her personal experience at two institutions now, she continues to run into this,” Monica added. “Bottom line, it’s no fun going to stores and having to play them in March.”
Understanding Why Syracuse HC Felisha Legette-Jack Frustrated With Repeated UConn Encounters
The UConn Huskies are a much stronger program and are also the defending champions. The top high school players take Geno Auriemma’s program as their go-to destination, leaving other programs like Syracuse taking the crumbs from the remaining.
Felisha Legette-Jack’s teams have faced UConn in the second round multiple times since 2017 (including her Buffalo tenure). Several of those games were effectively road games in UConn territory. She believes Syracuse deserves a better placement and a more balanced path in the bracket to ensure fair chances.
Her argument is understandable, as in the last five encounters at NCAA Tournaments, her teams have been ousted by the Huskies. But as Monica said, the NCAA seedings work arbitarily and the matchups are adjusted without any bias. It’s just bad that Syracuse is falling on the wrong side of it.
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