2/7/2020 - The Geno Auriemma Show

[Crossover]

I don't think 6 returning players is a lot for next year. Yikes! I am disagreeing with the Master. God forbid injuries! If I learned anything from my career in information technology, it was always, ALWAYS have multiple backup plans for every system. Murphy's Law is real. Having multiple capable players as backups is a really good thing. UCONN will have four returning starters (Olivia, Meg, CW, and Anna) with Evina being the fifth starter with Aubrey off the bench for significant minutes.
So are there really 5 strong recruits? I see Paige, Nika, and Aaliyah as significant contributors no later than mid-January, 2021. To me Mir ressembles Aubrey. I see her getting minutes but not as a significant contributor as a frosh. Mir will contribute meaningfully as a sophomore. I would love to see Mir and Abrey as hyper-athletic shutdown defenders in a year or so. Piath is a project. As such I don't a return on investment until her Junior year. Hopefully, Geno's investment will be paid back in numerous Dolson Dollars! (I still miss Big Momma; arms out and palms up giving the ref her "Wah? I fouled her? No way! All the while the opponent's post is on the floor wondering if she just ran headlong into a wall.
So ideally I see come January, 2021 Geno having 8-9 to significant contributors. I love my new really rosy red colored glasses. I think I'll keep them.

I think that when the "system" consists of teenage human beings with feelings, aspirations, and expectations, having multiple back up plans is more complicated than you suggest.

 

[Shenandoah]

He just may have enough talent next year to change lines like a hockey coach!

 

[huskyd]

ESPN today is writing about "reviving" the program. Why? Because we didn't get past the semis for 3 straight years. BUT, of course, we did get that far: one game shy of the NC game (which we've never lost). ESPN also cites the "bad" loses to Baylor and Oregon, and they were bad. But these weren't exactly slouches; either the Bears or the Ducks will probably win it all.
So what's the problem? The great Pogo cartoon strip often said: "The problem is us." We expect to 1. Win, 2. Win Big, 3. Never lose.
Is it fair to say that our 2 #1s of recent vintage, Meg and Christyn, aren't as "great" as we hoped? Don't know the answer, but having them hasn't gotten the results in the "big" games. Crystal is the best player on the team (she was a #3 and the top guard when she came in). There's nothing more that she can be doing. Liv is, to me, a disappointment. Consider her performances in the Baylor and Oregon games. And we don't have a quality 5th starter or a game-changing bench player.
So: Geno's correct. W/out the best players you don't win NCs.
(Think where we'd be with Lauren Cox or Aliyah Boston on our team.)

 

[SVCBeercats]

He just may have enough talent next year to change lines like a hockey coach!

Or like some guy named Doug Bruno!

 

[Centerstream]

He just may have enough talent next year to change lines like a hockey coach!

I posted about the idea of a Blue team and a White team. I also believe that Dean Smith had the personnel back in the day and did this.