Cause for concern

[redcee3]

I expect the motivation for playing the all-sub team for the last 13-14 minutes of the second half against Cincinnati was a combination of not wanting to completely embarrass Jamelle and also to give them some experience. I, for one, think that the results were very disappointing and a legitimate cause for concern. Remember: this freshman class was universally acknowledged as being the #1 recruiting class in the country--3 players in the top 25. Collectively they look like anything but. Breanna Stewart has shown flashes of being a very good player. But only flashes. As the top-rated high school player in the country, you'd have to say she's a disappointment so far. Moriah Jefferson is a little buzzsaw, but she's really not much of a threat at all offensively. And I don't think she's shown a great deal of promise as a play-maker, either. Morgan Tuck looks lost out there for the most part. She absolutely cannot put the ball on the floor; she gets stripped or dribbles it off her foot or loses it virtually every time she tries. If she's lucky enough to get a rebound, she throws the ball up wildly from 2 feet away half the time. I hate to say it because, believe me, I'm as big a UConn fan as any of you and I absolutely loathe ND, but Jewell Loyd is better than all 3 of them put together at this point.

 

[ThisJustIn]

I agree. If all of our starters get the flu, we are dooooomed!

And, as we have seen in the past, Geno and CD cannot develop talent. We're doomed. The players Jewell has around her are destined to leave us in the dust.

 

[meyers7]

LOL. You are very funny redcee.

 

[redcee3]

LOL. You are very funny redcee.

Possibly so, but I don't think that post is evidence of it. What did you find humorous in there?

 

[Woof 101]

Possibly so, but I don't think that post is evidence of it. What did you find humorous in there?

Everything you are a troll, or ignorance of the game is your forte........

 

[arty155]

... you'd have to say she's a disappointment so far...

I'd have to say, I'm disappointed so far,... that the Boneyard toolbar still provides us too few emoticom options

"Freshman forward Breanna Stewart is off to the fastest start in UConn history, scoring 169 points in her first 10 games"

 

[magical2]

I'd have to say, I'm disappointed so far,... that the Boneyard toolbar still provides us too few emoticom options
View attachment 2137

ARTIE DOES THAT MOVE OR AM I HALLUCINATING LMAO
IRA

 

[Bestiarius]

I expect the motivation for playing the all-sub team for the last 13-14 minutes of the second half against Cincinnati was a combination of not wanting to completely embarrass Jamelle and also to give them some experience. I, for one, think that the results were very disappointing and a legitimate cause for concern. Remember: this freshman class was universally acknowledged as being the #1 recruiting class in the country--3 players in the top 25. Collectively they look like anything but. Jewell is better than all 3 of them put together at this point.

And they're only going to get worse next year!
Agree about Jewell (that's Superman's biological father, right)?

 

[freekimchee]

Is there a dislike button here?

 

[redcee3]

Everything you are a troll, or ignorance of the game is your forte........

Have you discovered some method whereby you can watch these games in Braille or what?

 

[Icebear]

And here I was thinking you were blind because you didn't notice how well those same subs played in the first half.

 

[glenn fisk]

Hey,they are freshmen,and all freshmen struggle.They have to learn the system,grow,toughen up,gain confidence,find and work thru their weaknesses.give the girls a break!

 

[HuskyNan]

Hey,they are freshmen,and all freshmen struggle.They have to learn the system,grow,toughen up,gain confidence,find and work thru their weaknesses.give the girls a break!

If Geno plays the less experienced players, there are posts that the team looks terrible and can't score.
If Geno doesn't play the less experienced players, there are posts that Geno is a bad coach.

Are we paying Geno enough?

 

[alexrgct]

The OP is overstating things and is possibly a troll. That being said, although I wouldn't Lloyd over UConn's three freshmen combined, FOR THIS YEAR ONLY, I might want Tiffany Hayes. And that is absolutely a cause for concern.

Heading into this season, I thought UConn had a chance to be great for a few reasons:

• Returning every player other than Tiff who contributed meaningfully to a team that was one missed O-board from the NCAA finals last season (not to mention only five points shy of Baylor in Waco).
• The nucleus of Bria Hartley, Stef Dolson, and KML, was really, really young last year. Improvement was to be expected.
• Kiah Stokes had shown flashes and had a chance to be a really dynamic backup center, possibly the best in the country
• Kelly seemed to find her groove late last season in terms of scoring when she needed to on top of doing everything else.
• Because of those points, the team had a chance to be better than last year's even before factoring in the ridiculous freshman class.
• And then there was the ridiculous freshman class that arguably had three of the top five freshmen in the country.

In reality, Stef, KML, and Kelly are playing at a level I expected them to play at. That is a very high level and a big reason why I'd be shocked if UConn wasn't in New Orleans this April. Unfortunately, Bria just hasn't been right all season, especially in terms of her outside shot. Not having that weapon (one that was expected) has been limiting. Stokes, meanwhile, hasn't progressed for a number of factors. Banks has been a pleasant surprise. However, I have been pretty shocked by how little Tuck has factored into things and how inconsistent Breanna has been. Mo has been basically what I expected: shows flashes of electric play, but this wasn't going to be her year. Yes, it's easy to say "they're freshmen, and freshmen need time," but I'm still waiting for a MOMENT for one of them. I'm talking about Bria at the end of the Baylor game in November 2010, Stef tearing up a good DePaul team later that same season, KML burying Stanford in the first half in November 2011. You don't want to rely on freshmen in March/April, but you do want to see flashes of they players they'll become.
The assumption I've had for a while is that 2013-14 is going to be a year no one would seriously challenge UConn for the NC. You'd have a starting lineup of Bria, Stef, KML, and Breanna as definite starters with either Mo, Tuck, or Banks as the fifth starter and a bench of the other two of them plus Stokes and Soniya. I think KML is going to be a force of nature next season, but we need to see some of the other current underclassmen step up big time. With only one kid in the 2013 recruiting class, the 2012 class has to be everything it's cracked up to be.
By the way, these comments have little to do with last night's game.

 

[Zorro]

Anything less than a total slaughter can sure make some folks cranky!

 

[rbny1]

Personally, I was disappointed that we didn't win 150-2. I could see Cincinnati scoring 2 points on a defensive breakdown by our Huskies. After all, no team is perfect.

 

[doggydaddy]

The OP is overstating things and is possibly a troll. That being said, although I wouldn't Lloyd over UConn's three freshmen combined, FOR THIS YEAR ONLY, I might want Tiffany Hayes. And that is absolutely a cause for concern.

Heading into this season, I thought UConn had a chance to be great for a few reasons:

• Returning every player other than Tiff who contributed meaningfully to a team that was one missed O-board from the NCAA finals last season (not to mention only five points shy of Baylor in Waco).
• The nucleus of Bria Hartley, Stef Dolson, and KML, was really, really young last year. Improvement was to be expected.
• Kiah Stokes had shown flashes and had a chance to be a really dynamic backup center, possibly the best in the country
• Kelly seemed to find her groove late last season in terms of scoring when she needed to on top of doing everything else.
• Because of those points, the team had a chance to be better than last year's even before factoring in the ridiculous freshman class.
• And then there was the ridiculous freshman class that arguably had three of the top five freshmen in the country.

In reality, Stef, KML, and Kelly are playing at a level I expected them to play at. That is a very high level and a big reason why I'd be shocked if UConn wasn't in New Orleans this April. Unfortunately, Bria just hasn't been right all season, especially in terms of her outside shot. Not having that weapon (one that was expected) has been limiting. Stokes, meanwhile, hasn't progressed for a number of factors. Banks has been a pleasant surprise. However, I have been pretty shocked by how little Tuck has factored into things and how inconsistent Breanna has been. Mo has been basically what I expected: shows flashes of electric play, but this wasn't going to be her year. Yes, it's easy to say "they're freshmen, and freshmen need time," but I'm still waiting for a MOMENT for one of them. I'm talking about Bria at the end of the Baylor game in November 2010, Stef tearing up a good DePaul team later that same season, KML burying Stanford in the first half in November 2011. You don't want to rely on freshmen in March/April, but you do want to see flashes of they players they'll become.

The assumption I've had for a while is that 2013-14 is going to be a year no one would seriously challenge UConn for the NC. You'd have a starting lineup of Bria, Stef, KML, and Breanna as definite starters with either Mo, Tuck, or Banks as the fifth starter and a bench of the other two of them plus Stokes and Soniya. I think KML is going to be a force of nature next season, but we need to see some of the other current underclassmen step up big time. With only one kid in the 2013 recruiting class, the 2012 class has to be everything it's cracked up to be.
By the way, these comments have little to do with last night's game.

Are you saying you would rather have Hayes (last years version) instead of the 3 freshman? Can't say that I agree. I don't see cause for concern. They have all had their great moments, some more than others. But nothing I've seen from them tells me their skills were overrated. What I see are 3 freshman struggling at the highest level of WCBB in various ways. I am giving Tuck a pass due to her injuries and the missed practice and playing time. I've seen enough of Jefferson to see that she will continue to improve and make occasional contributions this season. And Stewart has been trying to figure it out. But her skills and physical ability are there for everyone to see.

I'm not sure how much they need from these 3, but I think with the pedigree of the starting 5 and some help from the underclassmen, this team is primed to win it all. I don't see cause for concern. But I'm the eternal optomist...lol. Or is that infernal...!

 

[doggydaddy]

"Even a Ferrari sputters when you ride the clutch and take your foot off the accelerator"

Once said by a great man, this hits the nail on the head in talking about concern over last nights 2nd half.

I kept screaming at Jefferson to run and she kept pulling it back. Any analysis done based on last nights game is a waste of time. Doesn't mean we shouldn't do it though. The board would be very quiet without those posts.

 

[UcMiami]

Alex - on the plus side you left out CD - she is playing much better than last year and contributing a lot (which couldn't be said last year.) And Banks is not just a pleasant surprise, but a completely different player. And the improvement in SD, KML, and Kelly is very dramatic - especially Stef (remember last year at this time everyone was complaining she had regressed from her freshman year.) Bria is the only starter to regress because of her ankle problems, but she is starting to round into form.
As for the freshman - not sure what people expected, but ...
Stewart was challenging MM for most points in the first 10 games of her career, and she came in with a less D1 ready physique. Yes she has had some ups and downs, but all freshman do. For the most part she has been pretty great.
MJ is what everyone expected blazingly fast and an absolute pest on defense. Because of BB's improvement, she is 4th on the depth chart so her stats are going to reflect that. Her scoring is a little suspect at this stage, but she is doing well distributing the ball.
MT has played some solid minutes - I think she hit the wall over the last month, but showed some good signs in the last two games. She is also 4th on the depth chart at her position so she is having the same issue as MJ in terms of minutes.
As for last night - five minutes into the second half Geno pretty much shut down the coaching. He was just praying the half would end. He put in the Freshman and Sophs and said figure it out and lets go home. He called off the pressure, went to zone defense, and slowed the offense down - I think the only two fast breaks we had in the last 15 minutes were the steal and lay-up by MJ and the breakaway by BB. If he had cared about the offense he would have left some of the experienced players in to keep the offensive flow. That being said, I though MT and BS had some nice moments on aggressive plays and everybody got lots of playing time. As far as value ... practice would probably have been better.

 

[meyers7]

Possibly so, but I don't think that post is evidence of it.

Even funnier

What did you find humorous in there?

Pretty much the whole thing.

 

[JS]

If he had cared about the offense he would have left some of the experienced players in to keep the offensive flow.

Exactly. The less experienced players show up best when they're mixed in. When they're all out there together, it can be something of a mess, since they don't even get to work with that for any length of time.

As for the frosh, specifically, from what I see they ARE what they're cracked up to be. Highly touted players who make a big splash right away are those who are filling a void and, generally, are starters from the get-go.

UConn has the luxury of bringing these players along a little more slowly while working on their games. As to next season and beyond, watch out. Breanna gets stronger and tougher, Morgan gets healthy, and she and Mo get more game experience. This will be 3/5ths of a really good team.

 

[meyers7]

Alex - on the plus side you left out CD - she is playing much better than last year and contributing a lot (which couldn't be said last year.) And Banks is not just a pleasant surprise, but a completely different player. And the improvement in SD, KML, and Kelly is very dramatic - especially Stef (remember last year at this time everyone was complaining she had regressed from her freshman year.) Bria is the only starter to regress because of her ankle problems, but she is starting to round into form.
As for the freshman - not sure what people expected, but ...
Stewart was challenging MM for most points in the first 10 games of her career, and she came in with a less D1 ready physique. Yes she has had some ups and downs, but all freshman do. For the most part she has been pretty great.
MJ is what everyone expected blazingly fast and an absolute pest on defense. Because of BB's improvement, she is 4th on the depth chart so her stats are going to reflect that. Her scoring is a little suspect at this stage, but she is doing well distributing the ball.
MT has played some solid minutes - I think she hit the wall over the last month, but showed some good signs in the last two games. She is also 4th on the depth chart at her position so she is having the same issue as MJ in terms of minutes.
As for last night - five minutes into the second half Geno pretty much shut down the coaching. He was just praying the half would end. He put in the Freshman and Sophs and said figure it out and lets go home. He called off the pressure, went to zone defense, and slowed the offense down - I think the only two fast breaks we had in the last 15 minutes were the steal and lay-up by MJ and the breakaway by BB. If he had cared about the offense he would have left some of the experienced players in to keep the offensive flow. That being said, I though MT and BS had some nice moments on aggressive plays and everybody got lots of playing time. As far as value ... practice would probably have been better.

Very well put.

Although sometimes its good just to get game minutes instead of practice minutes. Even if just psychologically.

 

[Kibitzer]

Based on the penchant for harsh criticism and the lengthy diatribes of his/her position, I believe that the OP, redcee3, is the same golden doomer who added his $.02 to the recent Fuller blog about UConn wcbb recruiting. I commented about this in that (Fuller/Recruiting) thread.

I can sum up his thesis in one word: TROLL

 

[Bestiarius]

To continue the car analogy. What we have are 3 new model twelve-cylinder Ferarri freshmen in need of a tune-up. There are other new model four cylinder Toyota freshmen in WCBB who are who are competent, but no amount of tuning will turn them into Ferarris. The mechanics are at work in Geno's garage adjusting those superchargers to unleash the potential.

 

[semper]

Troll alert...troll alert.