All five 2020 recruits have signed, and Geno has comments.

[DEpup]

I would agree with you 20 years ago, but not now. Didn't UConn just have 2 or 3 transfer because of playing time?

You can pick your poison. Recruits come in and transfer or recruits don't come at all. Time will tell.

But those transfers weren't good enough to earn playing time. There were minutes available..

 

[MilfordHusky]

I think Westbrook will just be happy to play and willing to do whatever is asked of her, if she’s a starter or a sub. I’m mostly worried about Mir getting lost in the rotation, I see she’s listed as a 5’11 guard, but I thought she was more of an undersized power forward.

Mir will play the 3 or 4. She's not a shooter (yet). But Geno says she pulls rebounds off the rim.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Didnt Maya start right away or am I mistaken?

Maya started after Kalana Greene injured her knee.

Before that, Geno said he liked to bring Maya off the bench, because the other teams didn't have anyone they could bring off their bench to counter Maya. Considering that Maya finished 2nd (to Parker) in the AP POY voting as a freshman, there really wasn't a STARTER on any team that could counter Maya.

 

[oldude]

I would agree with you 20 years ago, but not now. Didn't UConn just have 2 or 3 transfer because of playing time?

You can pick your poison. Recruits come in and transfer or recruits don't come at all. Time will tell.

Yes, players transfer for playing time, but that is a completely different situation from a recruit deciding they don’t want to compete with the players at a particular school before they ever get there, and clearly my point referenced the latter.

 

[cferraro04]

Of course there is always the mass substitution pattern...if there becomes a log jam of talent. You start your A team...play them for 10 minutes of the first quarter...they run the score up...You let the starting five start the 2nd quarter..let them play for 3 minutes, then you pull the entire A team out. Then you run the B team play them for the remaining 7 minutes of the 2nd quarter...while substituting your number 11 player the last two minutes of the 2nd quarter. Repeat the same substitution pattern in the 2nd half. Of course, should problems arise foul trouble, injury, uninspired play, or playing a really good team or a player absent from the roster for the day then you adjust the strategy accordingly.... At least the playing time issue is resolved.

 

[Mdoggie]

Nika looks quite a bit like Sue Bird (in her current incarnation) to me and Paige maybe channeling DT

Let them be themselves.

 

[Mdoggie]

I dont believe anyone has ever tranferred from UConn because of playing time. Name one?

 

[BobbyJ]

I dont believe anyone has ever tranferred from UConn because of playing time. Name one?

Coombs and Gordon last year.

 

[bramos]

With all of the international players Geno has recruited lately (Poland, Croatia, Canada), perhaps the BY should consider switching to metric Hartley units.

so true.. and if Geno is not careful..and keeps recruiting internationally, all Olympic and FIBA teams will have a UConn alum or two..

 

[soxfan23]

I dont believe anyone has ever tranferred from UConn because of playing time. Name one?

There have been players that have transferred because of lack of playing time, but there certainly hasn't been any impact players. If you're a good player and work hard in practice, Coach Auriemma WILL find playing time for you!

 

[HuskyNan]

There has never been a top 10 recruit leave UCONN over playing time. NEVER. Some of the kids who left were highly rated coming out of HS, but almost to a person, there was too much talent in front of them and they felt they could get more PT elsewhere.

They were right of course. All the following players went on to have nice careers at less competitive schools:

• Kennitra Johnson to Purdue
• Michala Johnson to Wisconsin
• Brianna Banks to PSU
• Ekmark to ASU
• Edwards to USC
• Boykin to PSU
• Gordon to TTU
• Espinosa to Mississippi State (starter last year, comes off the bench this year)

There were others who left for very personal reasons (Delle Donne and Walker). Espinosa-Hunter did not follow Geno's rules after being told numerous times. Edwards was never really a good fit. The whole story about those 2 will likely never see the light of day.

My point is, as much as transfers suck, and we as fans bemoan anyone who leaves, an overwhelming majority of them just weren't getting the PT, meaning the void they leave is minimal at best. Not every player is Kyla Irwin, Molly Bent, Heather Buck, Lorin Dixon, etc. And not all of them will be as patient as Chong was in waiting till her senior season to not only start, but shine brightly.

Bottom line, the best players will play lots at UCONN. Those who put the effort in and wait their turn will also see PT (ie. Chong). The ones who aren't quite good enough will either need to wait their turn, work harder and get better to earn PT sooner, or will decide to leave.

These kids have to know who's here, who's coming, and what not, but sometimes the reality is not what they expected. Fingers crossed tho!

Kennitra left because she was very shy and disliked the fishbowl that players live in at UConn. It had nothing to do with playing time.

 

[Geew1992]

There have been players that have transferred because of lack of playing time, but there certainly hasn't been any impact players. If you're a good player and work hard in practice, Coach Auriemma WILL find playing time for you!

walker was starting. Don’t know if she would’ve been an impact player or not

 

[soxfan23]

walker was starting. Don’t know if she would’ve been an impact player or not

She didn't transfer because of lack of playing time though.

 

[Alydar]

I wonder if it is less a lack of current playing time and more a realization that playing time in the future will be as a sub.

 

[Centerstream]

Of course there is always the mass substitution pattern...if there becomes a log jam of talent. You start your A team...play them for 10 minutes of the first quarter...they run the score up...You let the starting five start the 2nd quarter..let them play for 3 minutes, then you pull the entire A team out. Then you run the B team play them for the remaining 7 minutes of the 2nd quarter...while substituting your number 11 player the last two minutes of the 2nd quarter. Repeat the same substitution pattern in the 2nd half. Of course, should problems arise foul trouble, injury, uninspired play, or playing a really good team or a player absent from the roster for the day then you adjust the strategy accordingly.... At least the playing time issue is resolved.

As I have previously posted before, Geno may opt to a have a Blue (Starting) team and a White (Reliever) team...sorta like another famous college coach has used successfully, way back when...

 

[EricLA]

I dont believe anyone has ever tranferred from UConn because of playing time. Name one?

Michala Johnson, Lauren Engeln, Brianna Banks, Courtney Ekmark, DeJanae Boykin, Mikayla Coombs, Lexi Gordon... Pretty much most of them.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Reasons Boykin transferred are unclear. She never played a second at UConn.

 

[Geew1992]

She didn't transfer because of lack of playing time though.

I know. But to say she wasn’t an impact player isn’t correct

 

[geneticrex]

Agree. IMHO starters will be Westbrook, Williams, Makurat, Walker and ONO. No matter how great, no freshman has ever started for UCONN unless forced into the role by injuries, or forced to play because literally no one else played their position (Dolson)...

Numbers won't be an issue next year on a team with 11 players...

Eric, my memory my be betraying me, but I think Sue Bird's class had some starting freshman.

 

[soxfan23]

I know. But to say she wasn’t an impact player isn’t correct

What I meant was, she was not an impact player that transferred because of lack of playing time.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Kennitra left because she was very shy and disliked the fishbowl that players live in at UConn. It had nothing to do with playing time.

I watched Kennitra play, but didn't know much about her. That's a shame. I recall how much Tiff disliked speaking to the media early on.

 

[Mdoggie]

Michala Johnson, Lauren Engeln, Brianna Banks, Courtney Ekmark, DeJanae Boykin, Mikayla Coombs, Lexi Gordon... Pretty much most of them.

I disagree. I think people transfer either because they cant grasp the system, cant take the coaching methods or they are just not good enough.

 

[Go/huskies]

I disagree. I think people transfer either because they cant grasp the system, cant take the coaching methods or they are just not good enough.

All things that could lead to a lack of playing time.

 

[UConn2SF]

Semi-serious, hypothetical, slightly related question:

Who you got?
Paith, Mir, Nika, Paige, Aaliyah ("20) & Aubrey
vs.
Evina, Megan, Anna, ONO, Christyn

I'd take the experience all day.
But put Aubrey and Mir on opposing teams because I'd love to see that match-up

 

[meyers7]

They were right of course. All the following players went on to have nice careers at less competitive schools:

• Kennitra Johnson to Purdue

Kennitra left because she was very shy and disliked the fishbowl that players live in at UConn. It had nothing to do with playing time.

Yes, KJ was getting 20 minutes a game. And as good as she was, she could have probably gotten more. Although, I think the fishbowl was starting to affect her in her Soph year. Definitely not a playing time issue.