Dishin & Swishin 12/27/16 Podcast: Can Brenda Frese & Maryland knock off undefeated UConn?

It is time for the next episode in the longest running series in women’s college basketball, “who can knock off undefeated UConn?’

We have already sat through the Florida State, Baylor, DePaul, Texas, Notre Dame, and Ohio State episodes, and those are only the ranked opponent episodes.

It was supposed to be easier this year, wasn’t it? That is not the case thus far.

This Thursday Maryland, ranked number four and an undefeated 12-0, is the next to try the Huskies. Last year Brenda Frese’s team almost knocked off UConn before falling 83-73 in the Maggie Dixon Classic at Madison Square Garden. This year the Terrapins are hosting UConn in the Xfinity Center, and there are reasons to believe this may be the best bet to end UConn’s unbeaten streak.

Seniors Brionna Jones and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough are legitimate All-American candidates, and junior Kristen Confroy knocks down threes with regularity. Two of six freshmen on the squad start, wing Kaila Charles, and point guard Destiny Slocum.

When Maryland won the national championship in 2006, it was an extraordinary team of two sophomores, one junior and two freshmen that did it. This year’s group is as tenacious and has the benefit of senior leadership coach Frese says on this week’s Dishin & Swishin podcast. Can they go the distance as well?

It is a pleasure to welcome coach Frese back to Dishin & Swishin! Some of the topics covered in this podcast are:

• The similarities between this year’s team and the 2006 championship team
• Jones and Walker-Kimbrough performing at such a high level, even doing more than expected
• Slocum being one of the top freshmen in the country, and her importance, especially against UConn
• UConn’s success this season, is it surprising, and Maryland’s willingness to play the Huskies each year, while some other schools waited for “the Big Three” to graduate
• Criticism of her early season non-conference schedule,