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Message: [QUOTE="Carnac, post: 2047551, member: 5798"] The boneyard faithful will argue and debate who that 5th starter will be all summer. Last year we tried to figure out who would be the 3 new starters this season. A few posters got it right, many did not. [B]UConn 2017-2018: Saniya Chong[/B] will be gone (graduation), thus an opening will exist, who fills it? The first thing we must do is identify the [U][I]viable[/I][/U] candidates. [B]Azura" Stevens, Crystal Dangerfield [/B]and[B] Megan Walker [/B]come to mind. You may want to add others to this list. These are my three. What attributes does Geno want his starting unit to have? Which one of these 3 ladies will best help the retuning 4 meet that goal.? Three different players, 3 different skill sets, three different levels of experience. Who gets the nod? I agree with [B]Huskee11 [/B]who said: "[I][B]Stevens is not coming off the bench.[/B] I think the returning starters all start as well, although the starting 5 for next year has been the subject of debate on numerous prior threads and will be the subject of debate on many future threads". [/I] We'll debate this all summer. I already know that some strong lucid arguments will be made for other players. I read somewhere here in the yard that Geno only agreed to accept Stevens' transfer request IF she stayed for TWO years. I can't provide documented proof of this (if I could, I would have). I'm writing/remembering this off the top of my head, but I do remember reading it. Perhaps another poster can corroborate this for me........a little help here please. I just can't see Stevens coming off the bench during whatever time she spends at UConn. [B] Stevens is an AP honorable mention All-America.[/B] Stevens was Duke's leading scorer and rebounder as a sophomore. She averaged 18.9 points and 9.6 rebounds. She led the Blue Devils in blocks (53) and field goal percentage (53.5). Despite missing seven games, she was third on the team in minutes played (781). [B]International experience - [/B]Stevens comes in with the international experience Geno loves to see. She was a starting member of the gold medal-winning 2015 U.S. under-19 team. In seven games she averaged 11.1 points and 5.1 rebounds. In the gold medal game, a 78-70 win over Russia, she had 18 points and six rebounds. Two teammates on that team were teammates Napheesa Collier and Crystal Dangerfield. She joins a long list of players who arrive at UConn having been high school All-Americans. Stevens was a Parade first-team All-American in 2014 as a senior coming out of Cary High in [URL='http://www.courant.com/topic/sports/college-sports/north-carolina-tar-heels-ORSPT00000150-topic.html']North Carolina[/URL]. As a senior she averaged 30 points, 20 rebounds and four blocks. For all these reasons, plus she would bring much needed additional height (6'6") into the lineup (you just can't bench a player with this kind of resume'), I'm placing my bet down on Stevens. I'm leaning back in my chair, smiling, and feeling real good about it. :) [/QUOTE]

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