A word before the game.... | The Boneyard

A word before the game....

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HuskyNan

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So, the FSU game was exciting, huh? I know some people are unhappy with the fact the Huskies struggled for much of the game. I'd like to remind folks that this team is very different from last year's and Geno is relying on some very young women to be key players. A reminder about the roster:

10 Molly Bent 5-9 Guard FR/FR Centerville, Mass.
51 Natalie Butler 6-5 Center SR/JR Fairfax Station, Va.
12 Saniya Chong 5-8 Guard SR/SR Ossining, N.Y.
24 Napheesa Collier 6-1 Forward SO/SO O'Fallon, Missouri
5 Crystal Dangerfield 5-5 Guard FR/FR Murfreesboro, Tenn.
25 Kyla Irwin 6-2 Forward FR/FR State College, Penn.
20 Tierney Lawlor 5-7 Guard SR/SR Ansonia, Conn.
11 Kia Nurse 6-0 Guard JR/JR Hamilton, Ontario
33 Katie Lou Samuelson 6-3 Guard/Forward SO/SO Huntington Beach, Calif.
15 Gabby Williams 5-11 Guard JR/JR Sparks, Nev.
23 Azurá Stevens 6-6 Forward/Guard JR/JR Raleigh, N.C. - sitting out this year due to NCAA transfer rules
32 Batouly Camara 6-2 Forward SO/SO New York, N.Y. - sitting out, same reason

ONE starter is returning from last year (Kia). There are 5 freshmen and sophomores who've never been the focus of the defense or asked to contribute as much as they'll be needed this year. The juniors - Kia, Gabby, and Natalie, are still struggling a bit to step up and need to find their balance as team leaders and play makers. Big kudos to Saniya on her game at FSU - she played like a UConn senior, my highest praise. Keep it up, kiddo.

Anyway, the point of my post is to remind posters that this is a young team in an unfamiliar conformation. Players are being asked to do things they've never had to do before. During games, I understand expressing frustration with goofy turnovers or boneheaded fouls but, please, don't turn your frustration into personal insults of the players. Criticizing the play is always OK; criticizing the human being is way out of line.

Criticism is fine, but there are a handful of posters who've taken it on themselves to beat the drum of negativity of one player over and over again. These people rarely post, and when they do I already know what their posts say before even clicking on the link. Technically, these posts criticize player but really, they are just spontaneous rants against a single player. These posters may have noticed their posts disappearing. If they just get up one morning and decides to rant against the same player, their posts will continue to disappear.

Thanks everyone for the mostly even-handed response to the game at FSU. Not saying this as a mod, but as a fan, please try to continue to be patient. I have a feeling it will be worth it in the long run.
 
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Unfortunately, Batouly Camara is also sitting out the year due to NCAA transfer rules. Although next year, I will be happy she has the additional year of eligibility.
 
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Tonight will separate the contenders from the pretenders.

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Good advice, Nan. These are kids, not professional athletes, and we owe them our support.

A bit inaccurate to say that Kia is the only starter returning, since every game (I think) last year one of 3 always started: Lou, Gabby, or Pheesa.
 

pinotbear

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Tonight will separate the contenders from the pretenders.
I suppose it could, but I think it just as likely that it won't.

And, the reason is, the point that Nan was trying to make - this is a young team, and, even the players who aren't young are being asked to assume greater responsibility than before. It's mid-November, game 2 - it's reasonable to assume that the UConn team that is playing in late February will be very different - perhaps even "really, really" different - than the one that takes the floor tonight. And, that's not even factoring in things like injury, illness, transfers, etc., in various programs.

Some folks have a powerful tendency to jump to conclusions too early in the season and too early in a player's career. For example, every year there are posts made during the exhibition games, sometimes in the first half of the first game, projecting gloom and doom or sunshine and lollipops about a player. Folks like Maria Conlon, Jess Moore, and, arguably, Tina Charles and Kiah Stokes didn't really "flower" as players until well into their junior seasons.

I just don't think you can consider the 2nd game of the season as a definitive litmus test.
 
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Tonight will separate the contenders from the pretenders.

Sorry to disagree, bizzaro but a second game of a season played in November seldom determines which teams will still be playing deep into the NCAA tournament.....the last UConn loss was also their second game of the 2014-2015 season in which they lost to #6 Stanford on November 17, 2014 and was a springboard to the current 76 game winning streak and Championships #10 & #11....the loser of this evening's game will likewise learn and grow from the experience and will be anything but an NCAA pretender....enjoy the early season match-up of basketball powers and know that a game like this played in November will only help two teams get better.....some fans might disagree but true fans will get it.....
 

huskeynut

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Tonight's game does not, I repeat, does not define the season.

UConn will scrap, scratch and claw their way to a W. These young ladies do not give up. I won't be a blow out but a W is a W. Baylor has some tall ladies but if the Baylor guards can't get the ball into the paint the height is greatly diminished.

Visiting teams will tell you they don't like games at Gampel. The crowd is right up on the court and very rowdy & noisy, especially the student section. Any team that says they are not intimidated playing at Gampel is lying. Ask South Carolina from 2 years ago.
 
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"Sometimes the best way to learn is to get the car keys thrown at you and be told to drive, just figure it out," former UConn point guard Sue Bird said Wednesday. "When you learn on the job like that, you can get some confidence in yourself even quicker. It might not look the same. It might not be an undefeated season. It might not be even a one-, two-, three-loss season. That remains to be seen, obviously. But I think come March, this won't be a team that you'll want to [face]."

So much wisdom for such a young woman. :D
 

meyers7

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I suppose it could, but I think it just as likely that it won't.

And, the reason is, the point that Nan was trying to make - this is a young team, and, even the players who aren't young are being asked to assume greater responsibility than before. It's mid-November, game 2 - it's reasonable to assume that the UConn team that is playing in late February will be very different - perhaps even "really, really" different - than the one that takes the floor tonight. And, that's not even factoring in things like injury, illness, transfers, etc., in various programs.

Some folks have a powerful tendency to jump to conclusions too early in the season and too early in a player's career. For example, every year there are posts made during the exhibition games, sometimes in the first half of the first game, projecting gloom and doom or sunshine and lollipops about a player. Folks like Maria Conlon, Jess Moore, and, arguably, Tina Charles and Kiah Stokes didn't really "flower" as players until well into their junior seasons.

I just don't think you can consider the 2nd game of the season as a definitive litmus test.

Sorry to disagree, bizzaro but a second game of a season played in November seldom determines which teams will still be playing deep into the NCAA tournament.....the last UConn loss was also their second game of the 2014-2015 season in which they lost to #6 Stanford on November 17, 2014 and was a springboard to the current 76 game winning streak and Championships #10 & #11....the loser of this evening's game will likewise learn and grow from the experience and will be anything but an NCAA pretender....enjoy the early season match-up of basketball powers and know that a game like this played in November will only help two teams get better.....some fans might disagree but true fans will get it.....

The second game of the season?

If contender means a team with a realistic title shot, I'd argue that both UCONN and Baylor remain contenders regardless of the outcome tonight.

I assumed bizzaro was talking about the fans. (since that is what Nan started this thread is about)
 
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Look at last years games that the top teams that faced uconn and how did their seasons end up? Nd, Sc, Maryland, OSU were all considered great teams but not one of them even made the final 4. So yes an early game for these teams can define how their season will go. Regardless of who uconn lost, every team still measures themselves against the best program and coach in wbb history.
 
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Look at last years games that the top teams that faced uconn and how did their seasons end up? Nd, Sc, Maryland, OSU were all considered great teams but not one of them even made the final 4. So yes an early game for these teams can define how their season will go. Regardless of who uconn lost, every team still measures themselves against the best program and coach in wbb history.
Does this mean that there can only be four great teams per year ...and that we must wait till the final four to find out who they are?
 
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