Next year...

[huskyrob1]

...I don't think we miss a beat. Gabby and Kia will be missed but Williams and Ono step right in to replace them. Williams has the potential to be the next Maya, she is that good, she showed it in the All Star game and I don't necessarily mean her stats, it was the little things she did, she played like a pro. Made everyone else on the floor look like eight graders. For Ono, her potential to be another Stewie is there, down low or beyond the arc. As good as Gabby and Nurse were, Williams and Ono as incoming freshman make us a little better IMHO. Our starting five next year are KLS, Dangerfield, Collier, Stevens, and Coombs or Walker. Williams will play major minutes and will probably come in at the first time out. Ono will get major minutes as well. I really like next years team, more so than this years team. Our bench is a little deeper as well.

 

[Sonny44]

Lots of optimism here and yes we will be a good team.

How is our bench deeper when we lose two experienced stars and gain two newbies?
Regarding Williams; they said the same about Walker - didn't happen, still could I suppose.
ONO another Stewie? Possibly, but that will take some time.
Stevens; hope she stays or we'll be hurting.

I think a good goal for us next year is keeping the FF streak alive.
Hope springs eternal!

 

[veryolddog]

I really appreciate your optimism and thinking on this subject especially with respect to these two incoming freshman. They certainly have a track record of success and proven abilities with a lot of potential. However, .................................... practical reality and actual practice shows that their contributions may or may not be limited. UConn recruits young women who can play basketball and fit a certain type that Geno just said recently "fits" the UConn mold. These kids, may or may not be starters for Muffet, Walz, Texas, Maryland, or even Schaefer but they would be integrated into the team and play. In most cases, the UConn recruits languish on the bench and "appear" not to be integrated into the team as "players". I was under the impression that these were really very good basketball players otherwise they would not have been offered a scholarship from "UConn". Some, I guess, who would really like to play ball, leave. Others are content to polish seats for four years just to be a part of the UConn dynasty. Somehow, all of this is befuddling to me. Potential that is untapped is lost potential. There are even a lot of examples in this past year where there are examples of this process. I don't know the answer to this question, but it seems to me that the consequences are both good and bad.

 

[huskyrob1]

Lots of optimism here and yes we will be a good team.

How is our bench deeper when we lose two experienced stars and gain two newbies?
Regarding Williams; they said the same about Walker - didn't happen, still could I suppose.
ONO another Stewie? Possibly, but that will take some time.
Stevens; hope she stays or we'll be hurting.

I think a good goal for us next year is keeping the FF streak alive.
Hope springs eternal!

I wouldn't call Nurse a star... maybe on defense but that's it. Steady and experienced yes, but she was never a great shooter, missed way more than she made, and I wish I had a dollar for every chippie she missed during her career. Who said Meghan Walker would be the next Maya??? Williams is that good and will elevate the team next year, as will Ono. As for a deeper bench, if Stevens stays, then we have Williams, Walker, and Ono all on the bench which is a luxury we didn't have this year.

 

[huskyrob1]

I really appreciate your optimism and thinking on this subject especially with respect to these two incoming freshman. They certainly have a track record of success and proven abilities with a lot of potential. However, ...... practical reality and actual practice shows that their contributions may or may not be limited. UConn recruits young women who can play basketball and fit a certain type that Geno just said recently "fits" the UConn mold. These kids, may or may not be starters for Muffet, Walz, Texas, Maryland, or even Schaefer but they would be integrated into the team and play. In most cases, the UConn recruits languish on the bench and "appear" not to be integrated into the team as "players". I was under the impression that these were really very good basketball players otherwise they would not have been offered a scholarship from "UConn". Some, I guess, who would really like to play ball, leave. Others are content to polish seats for four years just to be a part of the UConn dynasty. Somehow, all of this is befuddling to me. Potential that is untapped is lost potential. There are even a lot of examples in this past year where there are examples of this process. I don't know the answer to this question, but it seems to me that the consequences are both good and bad.

Put your money where your mouth is, how about naming some players instead of referring to them as "they", "some", "these kids" or "others content to polish the bench for four years", and name the ones "even this year, lots of examples".

 

[Charliebball]

I wouldn't call Nurse a star... maybe on defense but that's it. Steady and experienced yes, but she was never a great shooter, missed way more than she made, and I wish I had a dollar for every chippie she missed during her career. Who said Meghan Walker would be the next Maya??? Williams is that good and will elevate the team next year, as will Ono. As for a deeper bench, if Stevens stays, then we have Williams, Walker, and Ono all on the bench which is a luxury we didn't have this year.

Nurse may have missed some chippies but she shot .519 this season..............443 from three.............also shot .813 from the foul line

 

[veryolddog]

Put your money where your mouth is, how about naming some players instead of referring to them as "they", "some", "these kids" or "others content to polish the bench for four years", and name the ones "even this year, lots of examples".

I really do not think that it is appropriate to put names on these players. If you have watched UConn play for the last 20 years, you know already what I mean. Even this year. Not everyone is a Diana Taurasi or a Breanna Stewart, but there are a lot of talented young women who languished away but they made that choice to do so. There reward was intangible. But they really did not get the opportunity to play and play and play.

 

[huskyrob1]

I really do not think that it is appropriate to put names on these players. If you have watched UConn play for the last 20 years, you know already what I mean. Even this year. Not everyone is a Diana Taurasi or a Breanna Stewart, but there are a lot of talented young women who languished away but they made that choice to do so. There reward was intangible. But they really did not get the opportunity to play and play and play.

So you don't subscribe to the notion that "they" earn playing time in practice? If they're too lazy to work for playng time then they sit, until they get the message.

 

[huskyrob1]

Nurse may have missed some chippies but she shot .519 this season....443 from three...also shot .813 from the foul line

She's never played well under pressure, either with someone behind her on a layup or in both Final Four losses this year and last year. If she could have made just one or two easy buckets we would have won both those games.

 

[Charliebball]

She's never played well under pressure, either with someone behind her on a layup or in both Final Four losses this year and last year. If she could have made just one or two easy buckets we would have won both those games.

or any of the other players on the team could have made one more shot or prevented one made basket on the other end...........same result

 

[Centerstream]

She's never played well under pressure, either with someone behind her on a layup or in both Final Four losses this year and last year. If she could have made just one or two easy buckets we would have won both those games.

If Kia wasn't Kia for the last 2 seasons, would we have even made the last 2 FFs? I doubt it. If she is so bad on offense, I guess that she won't be drafted into the WNBA, currently projected as a 1st rounder I believe.

 

[Charliebball]

She's never played well under pressure, either with someone behind her on a layup or in both Final Four losses this year and last year. If she could have made just one or two easy buckets we would have won both those games.

Kia started out as a pretty average shooter and played way out of control at times............she's a perfect example of a player steadily improving year after year who was given playing time because of her ferocious defense not her offense...........unfortunately there are very few players with that strength of will out there

 

[Gus Mahler]

She's never played well under pressure, either with someone behind her on a layup or in both Final Four losses this year and last year. If she could have made just one or two easy buckets we would have won both those games.

Not with you on that. Seems to me she was fearless on breakouts/fast breaks.

And building on @Charliebball, she shot over 40% from three each of the last two seasons and over 80% from the foul line each of the last two seasons. And this year, she was over 50% from three for a long stretch in the first part of the season, which of course included the tough OOC schedule.

I don't know what defines a great shooter. But she seemed pretty darn good to me.

 

[Sam.the.Man]

Not with you on that. Seems to me she was fearless on breakouts/fast breaks.

And building on @Charliebball, she shot over 40% from three each of the last two seasons and over 80% from the foul line each of the last two seasons. And this year, she was over 50% from three for a long stretch in the first part of the season, which of course included the tough OOC schedule.

I don't know what defines a great shooter. But she seemed pretty darn good to me.

I'm definitely not a big Kia fan, but giving credit where credit is due ... she was fantastic this year until Dangerfield couldn't play. Kia's offensive game suffered greatly once she had to become the PG.

 

[Philly Kid]

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage
Last updated - April 1, 2018 Through games of March 31, 2018

Rank Name Team Cl Height Position G 3FG 3FGA 3FG%
1 Katie Lou Samuelson UConn Jr. 6-3 G 32 96 202 47.5
2 Maci Morris Kentucky Jr. 6-0 G 31 75 158 47.5
3 Lexi Bando Oregon Sr. 5-9 G 31 80 175 45.7
4 Sophie Cunningham Missouri Jr. 6-1 G 31 69 151 45.7
5 Riley Lupfer Boise St. So. 5-9 G 33 122 270 45.2
6 Katie Benzan Harvard So. 5-6 G 29 99 220 45.0
7 Kristen Confroy Maryland Sr. 5-8 G 34 76 169 45.0
8 Jenna Burdette Dayton Sr. 5-8 G 30 65 146 44.5
9 Kia Nurse UConn Sr. 6-0 G 37 85 192 44.3
10 Sabrina Ionescu Oregon So. 5-10 G 38 102 233 43.8


If your in top 10 in D1 Women's basketball for 3 point shooters I would say your a very good shooter. Kia is #9 now tell us Kia isn't a good shooter.

 

[Sam.the.Man]

...As for a deeper bench, if Stevens stays, then we have Williams, Walker, and Ono all on the bench which is a luxury we didn't have this year.

In that scenario, who would be the fifth starter?

 

[huskyrob1]

Kia started out as a pretty average shooter and played way out of control at times..she's a perfect example of a player steadily improving year after year who was given playing time because of her ferocious defense not her offense......unfortunately there are very few players with that strength of will out there

Completely agree with you here, the kid has guts and her work ethic is second to none, but at the next level she still needs to work on her shot especially when she's being guarded with hands in her face. I think she'll get there.

 

[huskyrob1]

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage
Last updated - April 1, 2018 Through games of March 31, 2018
Rank Name Team Cl Height Position G 3FG 3FGA 3FG%
1 Katie Lou Samuelson UConn Jr. 6-3 G 32 96 202 47.5
2 Maci Morris Kentucky Jr. 6-0 G 31 75 158 47.5
3 Lexi Bando Oregon Sr. 5-9 G 31 80 175 45.7
4 Sophie Cunningham Missouri Jr. 6-1 G 31 69 151 45.7
5 Riley Lupfer Boise St. So. 5-9 G 33 122 270 45.2
6 Katie Benzan Harvard So. 5-6 G 29 99 220 45.0
7 Kristen Confroy Maryland Sr. 5-8 G 34 76 169 45.0
8 Jenna Burdette Dayton Sr. 5-8 G 30 65 146 44.5
9 Kia Nurse UConn Sr. 6-0 G 37 85 192 44.3
10 Sabrina Ionescu Oregon So. 5-10 G 38 102 233 43.8


If your in top 10 in D1 Women's basketball for 3 point shooters I would say your a very good shooter. Kia is #9 now tell us Kia isn't a good shooter.

She's pretty good now as a senior at catch and shoot, but shooting off the dribble she still is not. She needs to work on that if she wants to be successful at the next level.

 

[huskyrob1]

In that scenario, who would be the fifth starter?

KLS, Dangerfield, Collier, Stevens, Coombs. If Walker or Williams starts Coombs comes off the bench. Any way you look at it it's a deeper and more dependable bench than this year was.

 

[huskyrob1]

I'm definitely not a big Kia fan, but giving credit where credit is due ... she was fantastic this year until Dangerfield couldn't play. Kia's offensive game suffered greatly once she had to become the PG.

Bingo!!! Shooting off the dribble and making her own shot is not her strong point, she's much better at catch and shoot. She'll get there with the work ethic she has, but she needs to improve that part of her game for the WNBA.

 

[Wally East]

She's never played well under pressure, either with someone behind her on a layup or in both Final Four losses this year and last year. If she could have made just one or two easy buckets we would have won both those games.

I mean, she certainly didn't make the steal and layup that tied the game at the end of regulation. Certainly had no one racing her down the court as she did that. Definitely wasn't at a crucial time.

 

[BostonCanuck]

I mean, she certainly didn't make the steal and layup that tied the game at the end of regulation. Certainly had no one racing her down the court as she did that. Definitely wasn't at a crucial time.

Nurse is a superb defensive player, capable of shutting down big offensive threats and making key defensive plays like the one you describe. At the same time, she has never been what I would call "accretive" to the team on the offensive end, and it certainly was no different during big moments in big games. In my view, Gabby is a far bigger loss to the team overall, and the effects on our defense from both of them leaving are going to be quite acute.

 

[Centerstream]

KLS, Dangerfield, Collier, Stevens, Coombs. If Walker or Williams starts Coombs comes off the bench. Any way you look at it it's a deeper and more dependable bench than this year was.

So I guess that you are assuming that Walker and Coombs are going to grasp that UConn way over the summer and in next fall's practices? And Williams does it in her freshman practices? I hope it happens but I don't see it at this point. I realize that CD made the sophomore leap but she at least grasped the UConn way a lot better in her freshman year.
But as of right now with the current 2018-2019 Roster, the 5th starter is a crap shoot.
I am still hoping that we get an impact transfer who has immediate eligibility.

 

[huskyrob1]

I mean, she certainly didn't make the steal and layup that tied the game at the end of regulation. Certainly had no one racing her down the court as she did that. Definitely wasn't at a crucial time.

She's a great defensive player, no argument there and is pretty good at catch and shoot. My argument is with her inability to shoot off the dribble with any degree of confidence that she drains it. On missing the chippies, if she knew how to protect the ball with her body as she went up to the basket she wouldn't care who was behind her, and would probably get an "and one".

 

[huskyrob1]

So I guess that you are assuming that Walker and Coombs are going to grasp that UConn way over the summer and in next fall's practices? And Williams does it in her freshman practices? I hope it happens but I don't see it at this point. I realize that CD made the sophomore leap but she at least grasped the UConn way a lot better in her freshman year.
But as of right now with the current 2018-2019 Roster, the 5th starter is a crap shoot.
I am still hoping that we get an impact transfer who has immediate eligibility.

Are you out of your mind? Are you saying that Williams, Ono, Coombs, and Walker are all going to be useless as subs??? They didn't get to be very highly ranked All-Americans in a "crap shoot" as you call it, they are all highly skilled players. Your pessimistic viewpoint is based on what exactly?