Auditioning for 16/17

[Carnac]

Okay. Looks like I can't convince you that what was showed one year from young players can have little bearing from what will show the following year. I tried.

You see players like KLS improve a ton from early on to late in the same season. Yet you don't see the young player's that played during that stretch (such as Gabby) having very much odds of improving a lot for the next year? More stagnant?

I completely agree that the team will be better than they showed. In Geno I trust. I fully expect ALL of the returning players to improve their individual skills and understanding of the game over the summer. I know they CAN improve. I EXPECT them to improve. My question is WILL they improve to the point to be able to beat the Baylors, The NDs, The South Carolinas? Those are the teams I'm concerned about. I'm not worried about conference teams.

I wished Geno had let that unit play the entire half, then we could have gotten more minutes to critique them.
Geno brought the bench in at approximately the 3:38 minute mark (I believe) of the first quarter. So that gave us 4 minutes and some change to observe them. They were not able to stop Cincy. They just traded baskets. I'm sure Jamelle Elliott was hoping Geno would leave that unit in for a long period of time. She had to be enjoying what she was seeing.

hoophuskee, I'll be the first to post a comment at the end of the year (Christmas break) if you were prophetic, and I hope you are. Remember, I'm not casting any doom or gloom over the program. And I'm not suggesting that it might be a long season next year. I'm just saying I didn't like what I saw from that unit, and I'm a little concerned. Geno will figure something out, he always does.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

Whoever starts, or however Geno apportions the minutes, I am expecting next year's
edition to be a little ragged at the start of the season. I don't know when they have
South Carolina penciled in, but most, if not all, of UConn's most challenging games
will occur before January, so I think it's reasonable to expect two or three losses in
the non-conference schedule.

Of course what I'm hoping for is that the team will come together and become greater
than the sum of its parts by tournament time.

 

[Carnac]

I can't resist teasing you a little. Against Tulane, the regular first unit (except for Polly being in the first two minutes) scored only 8 points, against Tulane! So obviously UConn can't possibly win the NC this year, based on that one quarter. My point is it is so difficult to draw conclusion about any group of players based on a few minutes of play. This is especially true when that unit has not played together often. If Geno had been able to start that unit in several games, our opinions might be far different. My guess is that UConn will be top five team next year, lose three or four games, and getting NC #12 will be quite difficult.

We all know why the girls were slow coming out of the gate today. It took them a little longer than expected to shake off all of the pre-game pomp and ceremony. Once they did, and order was restored, it was business as usual. I'm willing to give all of you guys the benefit of the doubt, and lay my fears to rest . All of you seem confident and secure in your convictions about next year's team. You've supported your takes with some logical and realistic observations.

I don't expect UConn to go undefeated next year. I don't think anyone expected them to do it THIS year. Playing at the highest level of women's basketball for an entire season, it's extremely difficult to win every game. That means you can't have any "off" nights. I do expect them to compete for a championship.

As usual, UConn has a very competitive OOC schedule next season. Baylor, South Carolina, Notre Dame and several other top 25 teams are on their schedule. How successful they'll be, remains to be seen. Can't wait to see the final schedule when it's released in October.

One thing we all can agree on, with the graduation of the BIG 3, all of the teams we've been running "rough shod" over, and whose lives we made a living hell the last 4 years, will be lining up to mete out a little payback. Every team UConn plays next season will be eager to hang an "L" on our won-loss record. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. I have faith..........in Geno and staff. In Geno we trust.

 

[hoophuskee]

We all know why the girls were slow coming out of the gate today. It took them a little longer than expected to shake off all of the pre-game pomp and ceremony. Once they did, and order was restored, it was business as usual. I'm willing to give all of you guys the benefit of the doubt, and lay my fears to rest . All of you seem confident and secure in your convictions about next year's team. You've supported your takes with some logical and realistic observations.

I don't expect UConn to go undefeated next year. I don't think anyone expected them to do it THIS year. Playing at the highest level of women's basketball for an entire season, it's extremely difficult to win every game. That means you can't have any "off" nights. I do expect them to compete for a championship.

As usual, UConn has a very competitive OOC schedule next season. Baylor, South Carolina, Notre Dame and several other top 25 teams are on their schedule. How successful they'll be, remains to be seen. Can't wait to see the final schedule when it's released in October.

One thing we all can agree on, with the graduation of the BIG 3, all of the teams we've been running "rough shod" over, and whose lives we made a living hell the last 4 years, will be lining up to mete out a little payback. Every team UConn plays next season will be eager to hang an "L" on our won-loss record. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. I have faith.....in Geno and staff. In Geno we trust.

I agree. And I fully expect to see UCONN lose games next year. The domination" of beating all top-tier teams by 10 or more will be gone. Maybe we'll take a bad loss or two.

 

[UcMiami]

I think this team will struggle just like the team did when all those 2002 players graduated - the 'other' phenom class. That was such a sad disorganized team in 2003, and then again in 2004. We were talking boneyarders off roofs nationwide!

 

[Sonny44]

I hope there is no rule against making the same post in two threads.

Given the limitations of our guards the only thing that makes sense to me is to throw Crystal in and sink or swim with her. Who cares if we have a couple of early season losses? We won't be undefeated next year anyway. Baptism of fire for her, concentrate on the post season. If she gets it we have a good chance of the FF and who knows maybe more.

 

[caramel]

Have we forgotten that Geno is the great and powerful Wizard of Oz?He has taken teams,in the past,that were considered small,less talented,and all,and turned them into a winning machine. Relax y'all.

 

[Tonyc]

On Tuck. I thought I heard during the un veiling that he said something about Morgan being up on the wall in the future. Was that a hint that shes coming back?

 

[Fairfield Fan]

We all know why the girls were slow coming out of the gate today. It took them a little longer than expected to shake off all of the pre-game pomp and ceremony. Once they did, and order was restored, it was business as usual. I'm willing to give all of you guys the benefit of the doubt, and lay my fears to rest . All of you seem confident and secure in your convictions about next year's team. You've supported your takes with some logical and realistic observations.

I don't expect UConn to go undefeated next year. I don't think anyone expected them to do it THIS year. Playing at the highest level of women's basketball for an entire season, it's extremely difficult to win every game. That means you can't have any "off" nights. I do expect them to compete for a championship.

As usual, UConn has a very competitive OOC schedule next season. Baylor, South Carolina, Notre Dame and several other top 25 teams are on their schedule. How successful they'll be, remains to be seen. Can't wait to see the final schedule when it's released in October.

One thing we all can agree on, with the graduation of the BIG 3, all of the teams we've been running "rough shod" over, and whose lives we made a living hell the last 4 years, will be lining up to mete out a little payback. Every team UConn plays next season will be eager to hang an "L" on our won-loss record. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. I have faith.....in Geno and staff. In Geno we trust.

Don't discount how disruptive that pre-game ceremony was. Does anyone recall that the one game that UConn has lost to an unranked team out of the last 250 or so games was to St. John's? And guess what: it was on senior day. The kids were emotionally drained. Not a concern.

 

[CocoHusky]

On Tuck. I thought I heard during the un veiling that he said something about Morgan being up on the wall in the future. Was that a hint that shes coming back?

I don't think so just an expectation that she'll be AA this year.

 

[jdubct]

I hope there is no rule against making the same post in two threads.

Given the limitations of our guards the only thing that makes sense to me is to throw Crystal in and sink or swim with her. Who cares if we have a couple of early season losses? We won't be undefeated next year anyway. Baptism of fire for her, concentrate on the post season. If she gets it we have a good chance of the FF and who knows maybe more.

Yes, given the alternatives, she'll have an immediate opportunity to earn major minutes. She may even become a starter after a relatively few games.