A look ahead, with questions:

[winlots]

1. With the parade and the great season largely behind us, was just going thru some of my note scraps which suggest that in the year after next, the three guards coming have rankings as high as number 2, 3 ,and 4 guards in the country!....varying between rating services, as always. Can anyone confirm that? If those notes are accurate, that's one heck of a core for that class....and one that should certainly appeal to any Bigs who want to be part of a dynamite club, eh?

2. Closer in time, looking at the looming new season, few of us would question the magnitude of our loss of the departing graduates. With specific reference to the loss of leadership and the loss of defense, how do you see that being replaced? (I'm assuming that Chong, along with improvements by others, will make up for the scoring we are losing....maybe even add some. But I don't know enough about her game to chave any clear expectations regarding her defense, etc.....do any of you?) Who will make up the deficits for us?

3. From what I can gather, the new practice facility is supposed to be ready "next year"?? Does anyone have any tighter timeline within the calendar year....and is next year at all realistic?

Let me be among the very first to wish all you good Yarders a Happy New Year.

 

[UcMiami]

1. Yeah - it is a great core of guards/wings and very necessary considering losses this year and next. There is certainly room and playing time available for some bigs.
2. I think the leadership of the seniors will be greatly missed - the rest can be picked up. As great as Kelly was individually, the strength of the defense is the team communication, system, and scouting. With only one freshman, the rest of the team is already well advanced on the system. Chong should be OK, and getting Banks back with her speed and length should also help the perimeter defense.
3. No idea, but that is not unreasonable if 'next year' is 2014 start of school year.

 

[winlots]

UCM - hey, you make a great point about Banks. In thinking about the defensive loss via graduation, I overlooked the Banks return - dumb, bec she is one of my favorites.

Another question I had meant to put in this thread was whether anyone had much knowledge about the anticipated "walk on" - re her abilities and her current physical condition?

 

[meyers7]

Another question I had meant to put in this thread was whether anyone had much knowledge about the anticipated "walk on" - re her abilities and her current physical condition?

Rebecca Pope is a walk on but not "just a walk-on". Really she is a JC transfer. She played I believe 2 years at Avery Point. She was their leading scorer both years. Avg around 18 ppg (made 79 3 pts her Soph year - in 22 games). She was a first first team selection for the NJCAA Div III all region team and All-American 2nd team. Also a WBCA JC All-American HM. She seems to be a decent shooter and at 5-9 big enough to play a guard at this level (at least as a 10th player).

I thought I read somewhere she was at some of the later practices, so I would assume she would be good to go by next fall. If she stays around she might be able to practice with them this summer.

 

[winlots]

MYERS: Nice detail - thanks. Some of that comes back to me, but no recollection of that number of threes. Terrific! Put that in there with Chong and improvements by the returnees, and our fire power might well be increased next year.
Assume you have nothing on the gym opening, etc.

 

[UcMiami]

I think Pope may have a little more game than say Stacey Marron or Jacquie Fernandez but will definitely be at the end of the bench. Her being around the team last year will help in terms of learning curve and she has 2 years of college ball behind her so is probably a more developed physical specimen than your typical HS senior. (Meyers7 - thanks for the info.)
Back on the defense - Uconn typically switches on all screens involving wing players and sometimes on all screens involving four or all five players on the court. So while Kelly was fabulous and I am taking nothing away from her defensive chops, the reality was that the shutting down of the best wing players probably included 50% other players at the actual moment of a shot. The switching and requirement that everyone therefore be totally focused on defense and performing at a high level is part of what sets Uconn apart at the defensive end. They match up at the beginning of an offensive set, but are hard to run screens against because of all the switching.

 

[Phil]

3. From what I can gather, the new practice facility is supposed to be ready "next year"?? Does anyone have any tighter timeline within the calendar year....and is next year at all realistic?

IIRC the ground-breaking is tomorrow, which isn't an answer to your question, but some might be interested in knowing.

 

[Biff]

IIRC the ground-breaking is tomorrow, which isn't an answer to your question, but some might be interested in knowing.

From the few pictures I've seen I think the ground has been pretty much way broken on the site!

Web cam

However, you are correct about the ground breaking ceremony.

 

[HGN]

Rebecca Pope is a walk on but not "just a walk-on". Really she is a JC transfer. She played I believe 2 years at Avery Point. She was their leading scorer both years. Avg around 18 ppg (made 79 3 pts her Soph year - in 22 games). She was a first first team selection for the NJCAA Div III all region team and All-American 2nd team. Also a WBCA JC All-American HM. She seems to be a decent shooter and at 5-9 big enough to play a guard at this level (at least as a 10th player).

I thought I read somewhere she was at some of the later practices, so I would assume she would be good to go by next fall. If she stays around she might be able to practice with them this summer.

Meyers, I read where Pope played a week with the team before getting hurt. And then attended all the practices as an observer and prospect after getting injured. Shea Ralph said that before the injury that she played well and could hang with the reserves and could not be left open because she could bury the 3-pointer. described as a 5'9 guard with tenacity and chops. Geno also said that she had played well enough and was welcome if she wants to come back and give it another shot. So it sounds like we might have our 10th player.

 

[meyers7]

MYERS: Nice detail - thanks. Some of that comes back to me, but no recollection of that number of threes. Terrific! Put that in there with Chong and improvements by the returnees, and our fire power might well be increased next year.
Assume you have nothing on the gym opening, etc.

Nope nothing on the gym opening. sorry.

 

[meyers7]

Meyers, I read where Pope played a week with the team before getting hurt. And then attended all the practices as an observer and prospect after getting injured. Shea Ralph said that before the injury that she played well and could hang with the reserves and could not be left open because she could bury the 3-pointer. described as a 5'9 guard with tenacity and chops. Geno also said that she had played well enough and was welcome if she wants to come back and give it another shot. So it sounds like we might have our 10th player.

I'm not sure if she "got hurt" or they found something in the pre-physical or she complained about some pain and then they found the problem???? I remember reading something about it????

 

[Phil]

I'm not sure if she "got hurt" or they found something in the pre-physical or she complained about some pain and then they found the problem???? I remember reading something about it????

Your summary matches my recollection.

 

[meyers7]

Your summary matches my recollection.

Great, neither one of us can "exactly" remember anything.

 

[winlots]

Another helpful answer: in today's NEWS from Nan, the hoped-for opening for the new practice facility is May 2014, in time for the next season. Terrific - hope they make it or something close to that date. OF course, i hope even more fervently that some of us do, too. Stay well.