A Sad Day

[HuskyNan]

It’s not sad, or depressing, or the end of the world. It’s basketball, a game, played by young women running up and down a court throwing a ball through a hoop. They lost a game - no one died.

 

[Huskygamble19]

for one thing..Look at the games we have been blessed with early in the year and losing Azzi before playing these games is a big disadvantage. I wasn't overly confident we would beat UCLA without a main cog in Azzi.

I remember seeing many boneyarders saying we will be loaded this year and on paper that appeared to be true except that the injury bug reared its ugly head once again and we have to adjust our expectations. Caroline isn't Caroline from before and it shows in her slashing speed.

I am not too upset with the team because with these difficult games early on it is hard to get your footing.

 

[Huskygamble19]

Boston attended alot of UConn games It was thought she would come to UConn.. she didnt. Cardoso was thought to come to UConn when leaving Cuse she didnt. Many years ago Maryland was not a competitive team and UConn had a great recruiting class that ended up going to Maryland. Gotta wonder what happened???????????

My guess is Brenda Frese and Dawn Staley..Geno isn't the only top notch coach anymore.

 

[Tonyc]

I haven’t seen any discussion about two factors that impacted last nights result. We had 4 players (Brady and 3 fresh) play a total 37 minutes and none of them played in UConn’s complex system last year. Secondly, what do we think the emotional impact might have been to the kids of finding out that Azzi was out for the year earlier this week? And a third of my 2 points - UCLA is experienced and #2 in the country.

I’m certainly worried and upset, but it’s not time to jump off the bridge. Thanks for your thoughts Tony.

The girls knew about Azzi's ACL just before the Minny game and thus a lack luster performance. Did it carry over to the UCLA game? That I dont know but something was off.

 

[VA Huskie]

It isn’t about writing off the season, it is about some folks finally noticing the long-term trends catching up to the team (as seen in individual game losses). As much as I love watching UConn WBB, the decline has been obvious. The players are still wonderful people and representatives of the college.

Obvious decline??? We got Paige, Fudd, Ducharme, Edwards, Arnold, Shade and a few more, in recent years.

 

[VA Huskie]

On this one rare occasion, @Tonyc, I have to disagree. We have both an injury problem and a recruiting problem. It's not as bad as the doom chorus likes to pretend. But the fact is we are losing out on players we used to get. I suspect it's because the landscape has changed, partly because of NIL and the Portal, but also because of social media, which is now much more prevalent in HS kids' lives than it was even 10 years ago.

Geno is old school. He believes in discipline and character development, and that's how he built a dynasty. Personally, I think these are eternal values, and I look at UConn as a last bastion of noble virtues in college sports. I do not want Geno to change anything he's doing. But I also expect that for the next few years, he will be facing a much steeper uphill battle with recruiting, and this will make staying in the NC picture exponentially more difficult.

For whatever reason, teenagers are not as attracted to the idea of UConn team culture as they used to be, and this includes Geno's blunt honesty, CD's emphasis on body language and wearing stockings in public, forbidding tattoos or eyelash extensions, etc. I watched a clip from an interview with Angel and Flau'jae from before their moms' falling out and thought to myself, "these are the role models HS players are being offered by WCBB right now." We can still attract great players like Morgan and Allie (and maybe even Sarah), and this will keep us relevant for the near future. But if, for example, candy doesn't develop as we hope and we don't get the Big O to come to Storrs, it will be a long hard climb to the next few final fours. Geno can bring out the best in players, but he needs to build on a sustained core of talent as well.

That is one insightful description of the near term state of affairs for WBB and UConn that I’ve seen in a long time.

 

[Charliebball]

Recent UConn teams remind me a bit of the recent NY Yankee teams.......... still good enough to consistently make the postseason (until last year's Yankees) with a group of top-level players either getting injured or simply not always playing up to their capabilities in big games leading to losses in the postseason..........at the same time a bunch of historically "lesser" teams have leveled and in some cases surpassed UConn/Yankees in talent and results.........I'd say the same thing has happened on a smaller level to other historically strong teams from Tennessee, Maryland, Louisville, and even Stanford and Notre Dame to a degree...........I also think that male head coaches are not as appealing as they used to be to many top ranked high school recruits........Geno is getting the double whammy because of his age.........don't think for a second that recruiters from other schools don't point out that he may leave the program in the next few years even though we seem certain that he's not going anywhere for a while.............yet all is not lost..........the injury bug has to subside at some point and there are still enough great recruits that still want to be "coached up" by the master to keep UConn as a highly ranked team for as long as Geno is there......

 

[topogigio]

The girls knew about Azzi's ACL just before the Minny game and thus a lack luster performance. Did it carry over to the UCLA game? That I dont know but something was off.

That was exactly my point when I wrote "somethin' ain't right" in an earlier post. Certainly there have been enough loses over the past five years that we all realize that it is not the end of the world. and the sun comes up the next day. Yes, the level of talent has expanded exponentially across the WCBB landscape, and there are more than just a very small group of teams capable of winning a NC, but what I am watching is not typical UConn basketball. Make excuses all you want, but my eyes see it that way!

 

[MSGRET]

Azzi didn't play against Maryland and UConn did a job on them. I can't understand why many people on here think it's the end of the world losing to two teams that are in the Top 10.

 

[Waquoit]

If Paige doesn't produce super numbers, this team isn't going to beat the varsity. Just not enough talent.

 

[KY Card Fan]

It’s not sad, or depressing, or the end of the world. It’s basketball, a game, played by young women running up and down a court throwing a ball through a hoop. They lost a game - no one died.

Well-said. I just returned from a disappointing football loss to an in-state rival. In my younger days I wouldn't have slept the night after a loss like that. Tonight I will sleep fine, the sun will rise tomorrow morning and I (hopefully) will rise with it. And I'll watch "my team" try to throw the ball through a hoop in Texas.

 

[Huskygamble19]

Rewatching the game and I think that Aliyah missing every intermediate jump shot had something to do with this loss. she had open shots and missed them all.

 

[TCC Kid]

Agree 100%. I don't care if they are getting a free college education and NIL money, they are still kids. Not helpful bashing them. I'm sure the fact that, once agaThain, there are injuries to key players is messing with their heads. Let's give them time to regroup.

That FULL COLLEGE==isn't a gift--few students can take that much work. I'm proud of them. I'm sad for the kids. I'm sad they feel bad over a loss they couldn't effect. Size---in the post size in the forwards --quickness all around--depth --Shooting beyond their peter principle--two players with 5 3's each--come on how many games have they done that??
They watched Uconn Defense as took advantage of it---They sucker the defense in and a 3 shooter would set up and make it. Smart coaching --excellent execution. Not This Uconn Teams fault---3 Stokes and Uconn would have won.

 

[cohenzone]

"We don't have a recruiting problem"

I respectfully disagree. Over the past few years, I feel both Kim Mulkey and Dawn Staley have proven to be more effective recruiters. Face facts. Kim Mulkey took a dormant LSU team, and in two years made them Nationl Champs. South Carolina had their starting five drafted by the WNBA, and yet they haven't missed a beat, rising to number 1 again this year.

Now, if Geno had been able to get Cardoso from Syracuse, or Morrow from Depaul, we might be looking at a different scenario, but we didn't.

There are many more good players close to where a lot of rising programs are located than there are close to UConn and more of the players have solid choices close to home. But i think what really had an impact was Aliyah Boston surprisingly spurning UConn for SC. Unprovable, but chances would have been 2 or more NC for UConn and people are still talking about how UConn is bad for the game.

But that’s water under the bridge.and UConn loses some of its luster for some recruits despite continuing to have success other programs would love to have and despite a string of lousy injury luck to key players. The one recruit that hasn’t panned out that probably hurts the most is Amari given the miss on other skilled tall players and with there being no way to know if Jana could fill some of that void. But there was a comment someone made about UConn having become irrelevant. How ridiculoud. Not being dominant is not the same as no longer being in the discussion. Mulkey caught a break when a Utah kid missex two clinching foul shots or Morrow and Van Lith and a few recruits might not have been so quick to go TO. LSU. That’s the way the cookie crumblez.

 

[hoophuskee]

"We don't have a recruiting problem"

I respectfully disagree. Over the past few years, I feel both Kim Mulkey and Dawn Staley have proven to be more effective recruiters. Face facts. Kim Mulkey took a dormant LSU team, and in two years made them Nationl Champs. South Carolina had their starting five drafted by the WNBA, and yet they haven't missed a beat, rising to number 1 again this year.

Now, if Geno had been able to get Cardoso from Syracuse, or Morrow from Depaul, we might be looking at a different scenario, but we didn't.

Wow-- talk about Monday Morning QB. You mention post players but disregard Fudd and Ducharme because they are guards? Because if the subject is "recruiting" - overall they were overall higher recruits than Cardoso and Morrow. Fudd was a generational talent ranked 1st in her class while the prior year Cardoso was ranked 5th. And Ducharme was ranked 4th while Morrow was ranked beyond 100 according to Hoopgurlz. How can anyone ignore these facts (not fiction) that Azzi and Caroline have been hurt and as a result how that affects overall team performance?

It sounds like :you want to evalaute post players and everything else be be damned." It's as if you believe Geno should have known that Ice and Patterson were to be hurt when he recruited them. Unless you think it's a failure of his that he should have known all 4 of the UCONN players were going to be hurt?
.

 

[HuskyNan]

Wow-- talk about Monday Morning QB. You mention post players but disregard Fudd and Ducharme because they are guards? Because if the subject is "recruiting" - overall they were overall higher recruits than Cardoso and Morrow. Fudd was a generational talent ranked 1st in her class while the prior year Cardoso was ranked 5th. And Ducharme was ranked 4th while Morrow was ranked beyond 100 according to Hoopgurlz. How can anyone ignore these facts (not fiction) that Azzi and Caroline have been hurt and as a result how that affects overall team performance?

It sounds like :you want to evalaute post players and everything else be be damned." It's as if you believe Geno should have known that Ice and Patterson were to be hurt when he recruited them. Unless you think it's a failure of his that he should have known all 4 of the UCONN players were going to be hurt?
.

Morrow is 6-1. She’s listed as a guard on the LSU roster
@Aluminny69

 

[CL82]

It’s not sad, or depressing, or the end of the world. It’s basketball, a game, played by young women running up and down a court throwing a ball through a hoop. They lost a game - no one died.

Things other than death can be sad. Fans are very vested in this team. When the team does poorly, fans feel a little sad. Nothing wrong with that, in my opinion.

Now on the other hand, the whole "We lost a game! Fire everyone! Send the refs hate mail! Geno's lost it!!" crowd maybe overreacting a bit for my taste.

 

[CL82]

My guess is Brenda Frese and Dawn Staley..Geno isn't the only top notch coach anymore.

He never was, he has just outlasted most of his peers. Tara is still chugging along though.

 

[CL82]

That is one insightful description of the near term state of affairs for WBB and UConn that I’ve seen in a long time.

I don't know that we have a recruiting problem. We continue to get excellent recruits. The problem, in my opinion is that injury to a key player has ripple effects. We lose Jana in our vaunted front court depth disappears. We lose Azzi and our 4 out scheme suffers because we lack enough knockdown perimeter shooters to open up the paint.

We still have enough available talent to be a very good team. Give it time Geno will make adjustments so we're running things that players are more comfortable with. So while it is very sad that Azzi isn't playing, it creates the opportunity for other players to step up, like the wonderful game Aubrey had.

It's all good. Give it time and don't worry about the postseason until we actually get there.

 

[hoophuskee]

Morrow is 6-1. She’s listed as a guard on the LSU roster
@Aluminny69

They list her as a gaurd bui do the play her at that spot? P When Edwards came to UCONN she was listed as a guard/forward. She was never a guard. Looking the Colroado game beofre teh tip the have Reese listed as a forward then 4 guards. For talking points - that's not realistic. And when she is playing vs Colorado I briefly looked at teh start- she is looking for the ball with her back to the basket a lot. That's a forward. And they can call Reese a forward if they want but she is guarding the opposing team's center an she is playing mostly inside then she is a center.

 

[HuskyNan]

They list her as a gaurd bui do the play her at that spot? P When Edwards came to UCONN she was listed as a guard/forward. She was never a guard. Looking the Colroado game beofre teh tip the have Reese listed as a forward then 4 guards. For talking points - that's not realistic. And when she is playing vs Colorado I briefly looked at teh start- she is looking for the ball with her back to the basket a lot. That's a forward. And they can call Reese a forward if they want but she is guarding the opposing team's center an she is playing mostly inside then she is a center.

My point is she isn’t a 6-5 post. @Aluminny69 mentioned Morrow with Cardoso but the two players aren’t equivalent.

 

[hoophuskee]

My point is she isn’t a 6-5 post. @Aluminny69 mentioned Morrow with Cardoso but the two players aren’t equivalent.

Okay - I don't understand your point - but okay. Morrow is a post though. She plays a lot inside.

 

[Cuango]

My guess is Brenda Frese and Dawn Staley..Geno isn't the only top notch coach anymore.

I don’t recall Cardoso ever being on the menu for UConn! At that point we had already signed Dorka. Perhaps I’m misremembering?

 

[Cuango]

Wow-- talk about Monday Morning QB. You mention post players but disregard Fudd and Ducharme because they are guards? Because if the subject is "recruiting" - overall they were overall higher recruits than Cardoso and Morrow. Fudd was a generational talent ranked 1st in her class while the prior year Cardoso was ranked 5th. And Ducharme was ranked 4th while Morrow was ranked beyond 100 according to Hoopgurlz. How can anyone ignore these facts (not fiction) that Azzi and Caroline have been hurt and as a result how that affects overall team performance?

It sounds like :you want to evalaute post players and everything else be be damned." It's as if you believe Geno should have known that Ice and Patterson were to be hurt when he recruited them. Unless you think it's a failure of his that he should have known all 4 of the UCONN players were going to be hurt?
.

Geno and Chris have always focused on more that the physical abilities of recruits! No shade is meant toward those two players but it is very possible that they felt those two did not fit into the requirements for UConn. That is not to say anything negative about them but Morrow was Geno’s best friend’s player and likely would never been a candidate for Geno! As for Cardoso, I believe she was in the same portal as Dorka so he would have been directly recruiting over Dorka! That was never going to happen! Is it possible, Geno had a twinge of regret that Cardoso did not announce earlier? Perhaps, but I think he was pretty happy with the player he ended up with. It’s possible I have the sequence of Dorka vs Cardoso wrong but I don’t think so.

 

[hoophuskee]

Geno and Chris have always focused on more that the physical abilities of recruits!

Not that it matters but I don't agree with this. Geno goes after the best basketball player he can get. IMO that is the #1 focus. That's hwy they've goten as many #1 recruits.

 

[Dublin]

That is not to say anything negative about them but Morrow was Geno’s best friend’s player and likely would never been a candidate for Geno! As for Cardoso, I believe she was in the same portal as Dorka so he would have been directly recruiting over Dorka! That was never going to happen! Is it possible, Geno had a twinge of regret that Cardoso did not announce earlier? Perhaps, but I think he was pretty happy with the player he ended up with. It’s possible I have the sequence of Dorka vs Cardoso wrong but I don’t think so.

Since Morrow had decided to transfer, it's likely Bruno gave Geno his thoughts. Geno could have definitely recruited her, but simply lost out to Kim. Just because a player, whether in HS or in college, becomes an active recruit, the fact that they decide to go elsewhere does not mean that Geno did not recruit them.

 

[uconnfan68]

It’s not sad, or depressing, or the end of the world. It’s basketball, a game, played by young women running up and down a court throwing a ball through a hoop. They lost a game - no one died.

You don’t know that no one died. ;^)

 

[uconnfan68]

Not that it matters but I don't agree with this. Geno goes after the best basketball player he can get. IMO that is the #1 focus. That's hwy they've goten as many #1 recruits.

Geno and CD have a type. They don’t look at some just because of over-involved parents. They want no drama, unselfish, team first, players. If they’re great players, all the better.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I don’t recall Cardoso ever being on the menu for UConn! At that point we had already signed Dorka. Perhaps I’m misremembering?

Cuango- - Rumor had it when Cardoso was available that she contacted Geno to transfer to UCONN but the Huskies had a bunch of bigs on the roster and were recruiting 2 or 3 other bigs and the numbers didn't work out and Cardoso contacted Dawn and her numbers worked out and she's at SoCar!

 

[Cuango]

Since Morrow had decided to transfer, it's likely Bruno gave Geno his thoughts. Geno could have definitely recruited her, but simply lost out to Kim. Just because a player, whether in HS or in college, becomes an active recruit, the fact that they decide to go elsewhere does not mean that Geno did not recruit them.

Nevertheless, I still believe Geno did not and would not have recruited Morrow with one reason being his relationship with Doug Bruno!