OT: UConn Women vs. DIII Men. Who wins?
Looking for the sage wisdom of the board. I had an argument a little while ago with some friends, and I need a broader opinion.
I'm a student at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, which has a decent DIII mens basketball team. I was of the opinion that if the UConn women, the undisputed best team in the country, were to play our mens varsity team, it would be a pretty fair game. Several friends were not convinced and said that the physicality of the mens team would far outweigh any possible skill advantages the UConn team might have.
I've made a point to watch UConn's last few games to try to gauge my original gut reaction, and I'm still not convinced they'd be blown out of the building.
Anyway, your thoughts?
Men by a 2:1 margin. I think you'd have to match UCONN up against some elite high school teams for a better comparison.
I think a good mens HS team could beat UCONN womens team
Men. Its not even worth arguing.
Unless, of course, the UCONN women were coached by Tom Izzo.
/sarcasm
Pretty sure I wouldn't pay to see it no matter who they played.
This made me lol.
Not anyone in the seats.
They are the best women's team, but the only men's team they could beat is the Washington Generals.
I was watching the game a little tonight and found myself wondering how bad the Findlay Prep HS team I saw play this weekend would destroy the UConn team.
i see people all the time playing pickup ball in the CCRB who are better than maya moore (great player though). an actual men's college team would destroy this UCONN team.
I think UConn would destroy the vast majority of men's D3 teams. Women typically play good fundamental basketball, and I've got to believe that they could physically match up pretty well with most D3 teams.
yes a womens team could match up with a mens D3 team and thats about it... the guys would win on pure athleticism alone and it wouldn't be even close... there is no way a woman would be able to stop a guy in the post... women can't match the foot speed of a man and there is so much more other than those 2 examples...
if uconn had britney griner they would win the post matchups, she'd just punch them all and break their noses
You didn't watch any of the game did you? The 6'4" center on UConn who can't touch the rim had 6 blocks. Ant Wright would have had 50 points in that game.
Honestly, I've never understood where this idea comes from that women's players have great fundamentals. Every time I watch a women's game I'm struck by how much worse their dribbling and passing skills are than the men. If women's basketball were actually "the men's game without the dunking," as it's sometimes billed, it'd be really compelling viewing. But that's not how it is.
I've watched DI girls practices for a few different schools and a lot of them have average guy student managers come out and play with them. The guys usually dominate. I see any college men's team beating UConn.
Here is an old article from SI about practice players at Tennessee, from back when Tennessee was the dominant team in the country a decade ago. A random group of 5'10"-6'2" guys from around campus that weren't good enough for DIII teams and were playing with restrictions limiting them from taking full advantage of their athleticism were beating the best women's team in the country in practice scrimmages by the end of the year (the women were dominating early in the season).
...and provides some real perspective. In fact, I'd say it puts the nail in the coffin of this particular canard.
Great post, I was going to say a lot of pick up teams would stomp them and you confirmed it. Plus shooting with that smaller ball is much much easier to make and gives you more range.
I would have to say the UConn ladies could beat Calvin, but not any other D3 mens teams.
My youngest daughter is a sophomore at Hope and we used to live in Holland (now A2). The Hope/Calvin Rivalry is incredible. It is amazing the support these two schools get from their alumni and communities....This is truly what college student athletes should be about...
I know it has been talked about on this board before, but if anyone has never been to one of the Hope/Calvin games they should. It is a bucket list type event. We live in Holland and have season tix to the b-ball games, it's just a great atmosphere for our family to watch a game.(not to mention good for my girls to watch some great womens b-ball) D3 sports don't get much visibility but they are great.
When her brother, Anthony, a current NBA guard, was asked if she could play in the NBA he said unequivocally no. He wasn't asked if she would be an allstar, just if she could play. I was expecting a nonanswer, but he said it wouldn't be close and that speaks volumes.
I give them all the credit in the world, but they just can't play with the men.
Same with volleyball for that matter. People make fun of it for being a girls sport, but the mens game is a whole other animal. For all of you that grew up without mens volleyball at your hs, watch the NCAA championships coming up: 6'10" players with 40" verticals.
is much too pretty to play with the guys. The first time a solid block caught her in the nose, it would be a sad day.
She just had Shelden Williams' baby. How did that guy get with her?
I know nothing about this UConn team, and not much more about basketball in general, but I think that a certain kind of womens team could play with almost any mens team. If the womens team was a very good shooting team, and relatively tall for women, then I think the athleticism advantage is minimized. Women can't drive against men and probably can't defend, but if they just toss 3-pointers all game, they might keep it close.
My opinion is close to this...if UConn could play fundamentally and hit jumpers, they could run with some D3 teams.
It all comes down to size and athleticism and some D3 teams don't really have much of that. A big, athletic HS team would probably crush UConn and a small, fundamentally sound D3 team would probably make for a close game.
So all the women's team needs to compete with men is to be taller, stronger, and lights out three point shooters. Does this dream team of yours perhaps have something taped to their leg as well as an adams apple?
I think the only important thing with respect to UConn's Women's BB team is that they are from the school we play on opening day in the Big House. May all of their focus remain on the success of Women's BB...
John Mantel is from my hometown, so I would fully expect Calvin to win.
But really, other people have said what needs to be said. There may be some some sports in which women could compete against men, but basketball isn't one of them. The physical differences are just too great, and modern basketball is too physical.
Doesn't Caltech have a DIII team. I'm sure UCONN would beat them. I fon't know much about DIII teams but I'm sure UCONN would beat most of them.
Disregarding your second sentence, I think you've done a good job identifying the intercollegiate men's team that UCONN would destroy. Best women in the world > nerds (similar size and athleticism, more skill, and less distraction by looming mid-20s virginity).
I don't know if you can translate across sports, but I remember hearing about the women's U.S. National team for hockey playing some VERY mediocre men's DIII teams to help prepare for tournaments, worlds, Olympics, etc.
The women got dominated.
Back in high school, the US Women's Olympic hockey team played a Jr. B team in our league. They were down 7-0 at the end of the first period I believe.
Softball (Because the rules limit what you can do athletically, IE underhand pitches.)
Team running
Soccer (except in countries where it's practically life or death)
Things like Polo, that are more dependent on the equipment/animals than people.
Swimming
Keep in mind, these are sports where I think women can keep up, and maybe occasionally win. There are many other sports that I think women can play very well. I'm especially fond of it when they play football in their underwear.
Also: I'm talking athletic men. Not me. Anyone, anywhere, can beat me in any sport, any time, except maybe golf, where some people suck even more than I do. My cousin and I play basketball on occasion, and the only single time I beat him, I did so by elbowing him hard in the chest at the beginning of the game. He never did quite recover.
As far as soccer goes, the US women, who are generally regarded as in the top 2 or 3 teams in the world at any given time, would get dominated by a mediocre college team. The men run faster, jump higher, have stronger legs, and are overall far more physical.
Swimming is an interesting one because it is a purely individual(minus the in water adrenaline of chasing opponents) sport. You can go down the list and compare times to see at exactly which level the elite women and the not elite men have similar times.
Co-worker of mine was on an elite-prep school team that beat the US Women in soccer 2-1 in an exhibition.
I'm pretty sure the men's U-17 team could handle the womens team.
...is just incredibly silly.
A friend of mine likes to tell the story about how his school team played a women's college team (D-1) and they beat them.
My friend was in 7th grade at the time.
Softball maybe if there weren't homeruns, but I think that would play into account.
Soccer is not even close. The speed and quickness would easily get around girls and physical play would be to much, especially on set pieces.
Team running/swimming... just look at school records at almost any high school and you'll see a vast difference.
Golf can be played more evenly if the course is right so that things like driving distance and approach shots are similar. Because of women's tees golf can be played somewhat equal. Not if women have to play at the same tees as men on a long course though.
I never like to compare women's sports and men's sports. I don't know why people want a woman in the NBA or PGA. Keep them seperate. It's unfair for both women and men to do otherwise
Danica Patrick. LOLOLOLOOL.
the us womens softball team would shutout a MLB all star team if it was softball. Jenny Finch regularly pitches against college and mlb hitters on tv shows like Sports Science and they cant even make contact with the ball. its funny to watch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_de3HJvO-N8
For one, a softball pitcher is only 46 feet from the batter unlike 60 feet in baseball. Second, the ball travels a completely different motion than any of these players have ever seen before.
Give them 5 minutes to adust, any major leaguer will go yard repeatedly on even Jennie Finch.
i'll go "yard" on Jennie Finch.... repeatedly
in golf is true, but the more important difference which you somewhat allude to is men's ability to hit higher lofted clubs into greens from much further out, at least on most of the golf courses in this country--e.g., hitting an 8-iron vs. a woman hitting a 6-iron or 5-iron from same distance. Better control of ball flight, control of spin, control of distance, etc. = better scoring chances.
Michelle Wie has had her disappointments, but IMO her shooting missing the cut by one stroke at the Sony in Hawaii (men's PGA event) as a 14-year old was one of the best performances of any woman (girl, I guess) ever competing against men. Even at the time it was a "oh, what could have been" story and now it's a minor footnote. But she equaled or bettered half the field as a 14-year old. Still boggles my mind.
Read this book...
The book is basically myths about sports (kinda like mythbusters) that are put to the test. The author actually puts each myth to the test or provides data to support a point. One of the chapters is about women and men playing each other. In conclusion... Men would destroy women in every sport. The only sports in which the women would be close is pool and darts. But even Janet Lee admits to something like, you'd be surprised how many men can dominate me. The chapter compares world record track times (basically 10th grade boys records are equal to womens world records), talks to Serena and Venus Williams who openly admit to being crushed by some guy ranked 600th in the world, some US womens national soccer team manager admitting to being worked over by U-16 boys teams and then gets silly by comparing weight lifting records. What I took from it, basically watching the best women in the world at any sport is like watching the best 15 year old boys play. Thus, I don't watch any womens sports. (Except soccer... I like the game that much.) I have a lot of respect for the women/girls who play, they obviously put a lot of time/heart/energy into becoming the best female (insert sport here), but they just don't stack up against the men.
You should really get the book, it's cool. Other myths tested, would a team of midgets be the best offense in MLB? Can a professional bowler dominate skee-ball? How good would a PGA pro be at mini golf? etc... And yes, the author played a game of tennis against Roddick in which Roddick used a frying pan. Roddick won.
I read an excerpt of this book (can't find it online) and it just comes down to biology. the thing that really impressed me is that Serena Williams (who is a BEAST) got absolutely destroyed by the 600th ranked mens tennis player.
I'm not saying that I could compete in any of these competitions, but at some point, biology kicks in. Serena can serve it 120(?) mph, which is really impressive for women. Men can just serve faster because biologically men are bigger/faster/stronger etc.
I personally think there is no need to compare. The UConn women are dominating womens bball, and thats impressive enough.
Bruce Pearl said that Candace Parker would have started for his Tennessee team. I'm sure he is just exaggerating. Even though she is one of the best, I don't think she could start on any D1 team.
I agree, the chicks would get rolled, but didn't everyone always used to say how Cheryl Miller was supposedly better than/as good as Reggie? (not that i believe it)