"Discouraging" ND Injury News

[WestCoastFan]

Ranking certainly don't guarantee any sort of success, but they are certainly correlated with success. Geno is a great coach, but part of his greatness is convincing great players to come to UConn. (Since Tina Charles, what percent of #1 players have chosen UConn?) It isn't like he was the only coach to realize that Maya, Diana, Stewie, Lou. Napheesa, Moriah, and Morgan were going to be great players. While he doesn't only look at a player's skills (intangibles are VERY important), his success at UConn has him in the enviable position of being very selective in acquiring highly skilled players who also have the intangibles required for team success.

I agree that players win games...coaches lose them. That's why TU (in recent years), Duke and UNCheat don't win the big ones.

Some years there is a far-and-away No 1....Stewie, D, Parker. etc. Other years, you could probably swap No. 1 thru 10. After that, it's a real crap shoot. No difference between most of the players.

Miss Muffit has had Diggins, McBride, Loyd (all on one team), Turner...all highly ranked, I'm sure...along with other ranked players. She's been close, but no cigar. Regardless, after this year, Mary-land is going to win it all for four years...just look at the recruit rankings.

 

[bballnut90]

Nykesha Sales, 1994 - USA Today high school POY
Shea Ralph, 1996, No. 1
Tamika Williams, 1998, No. 1
Diana Taurasi, 2000, No. 1
Ann Strother, 2002, No. 1
Tina Charles, 2006, Hoopgurlz No. 1 (Maya Moore won the Naismith as a junior)
Maya Moore, 2007, No. 1
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, 2011, No. 1
Breanna Stewart, 2012, No. 1
Katie Lou Samuelson, 2015, No. 1

Geno also signed 2008 No. 1 Elena Delle Donne who elected to go elsewhere.

Not to mention 2003's #1 Brittany Hunter who transferred to UCONN.

From 1994 to 2008, 13 out of 15 #1 players enrolled at (EDD) or played for Tennessee or Connecticut. That's pretty incredible:
Nykesha Sales, 1994 HS POY
Chamique Holdsclaw, 1995 HS POY
Shea Ralph, 1996, No. 1
Tamika Catchings, 1997, No. 1
Tamika Williams, 1998, No. 1
Diana Taurasi, 2000, No. 1 (I believe Ashley Robinson was #1 by some services, too)
Shyra Ely, 2001, No. 1
Ann Strother, 2002, No. 1
Brittany Hunter, 2003, No. 1
Candace Parker, 2004, No. 1
Tina Charles, 2006, No. 1
Maya Moore, 2007, No. 1
Elena Delle Donne, 2008, No. 1

The only ones who opted elsewhere were:
1999-Nina Smith, she chose Wisconsin but Tennessee was her #2 school.
2005-Courtney Paris, Oklahoma...UCONN was a finalist for her.

 

[Fightin Choke]

I agree that players win games...coaches lose them. That's why TU (in recent years), Duke and UNCheat don't win the big ones.

Some years there is a far-and-away No 1....Stewie, D, Parker. etc. Other years, you could probably swap No. 1 thru 10. After that, it's a real crap shoot. No difference between most of the players.

Miss Muffit has had Diggins, McBride, Loyd (all on one team), Turner...all highly ranked, I'm sure...along with other ranked players. She's been close, but no cigar. Regardless, after this year, Mary-land is going to win it all for four years...just look at the recruit rankings.

All highly ranked? Are you stating that based on their success in college or their actual rating by the recruiting services? McBride was ranked no higher than 20th by the services, and Dan Olson, the person who presently does the ratings for Hoopgurlz, had Kayla ranked 68th in the country. Diggins was ranked 3rd, but there was a clear #1 in her class, a women who selected Baylor named Brittney Griner. And UConn still had 2 years of Maya left when Skylar enrolled at ND (and another year of some woman from Jamaica, NY named Charles). Jewell was ranked 4th and that's awesome, but UConn just happened to have the 1st, 2nd, and 6th ranked players in that same class. And that class followed one in which UConn claimed the #1 recruit (some woman from Mater Dei named Lewis). Whenever the Irish have had recruiting success, it has been eclipsed by the Huskies. Which is great for UConn, as Geno is not supposed to share. But UConn fans cannot argue that Geno has done more with less when Geno has successfully kept team his well-stocked with very highly rated players. Did you not see HuskyNan's post (in this thread) of UConn's success with acquiring #1 rated players?

 

[j66kicker]

 

[WestCoastFan]

All highly ranked? Are you stating that based on their success in college or their actual rating by the recruiting services? McBride was ranked no higher than 20th by the services, and Dan Olson, the person who presently does the ratings for Hoopgurlz, had Kayla ranked 68th in the country. Diggins was ranked 3rd, but there was a clear #1 in her class, a women who selected Baylor named Brittney Griner. And UConn still had 2 years of Maya left when Skylar enrolled at ND (and another year of some woman from Jamaica, NY named Charles). Jewell was ranked 4th and that's awesome, but UConn just happened to have the 1st, 2nd, and 6th ranked players in that same class. And that class followed one in which UConn claimed the #1 recruit (some woman from Mater Dei named Lewis). Whenever the Irish have had recruiting success, it has been eclipsed by the Huskies. Which is great for UConn, as Geno is not supposed to share. But UConn fans cannot argue that Geno has done more with less when Geno has successfully kept team his well-stocked with very highly rated players. Did you not see HuskyNan's post (in this thread) of UConn's success with acquiring #1 rated players?

Hey Choke, thanks for verifying my point...and doing all that research. Nice job. McBride was 68th huh?? And yet she was an AA and runner-up to Stewie for POY. Wonder why No. 1-67 didn't pan out?

It's hard to use UConn as a basis for your argument...kinda chicken or the egg. Yes, Geno is a great coach who gets great players...because he has great teams...who attract great players. Other teams have great players...once again, TU, Duke, UNCheat, etc... Why don't they win more? Give you a hint: Coaching, not player rankings.

 

[easttexastrash]

Why don't they win more? Give you a hint: Coaching, not player rankings.

I think this theory will be tested starting next year. UCONN had DT for 3 of its titles, Stewart for 3, Maya Moore for 2. Those were not just number 1 players, those were three of the most talented players to ever play WCBB. There is obviously a difference in a number 1 player like Stewart and a number 1 player like Mercedes Russell. I am not saying that Geno is not a phenomenal coach, but to imply that talent level has not been a factor in UCONN's success is just silly.

 

[HuskyNan]

Not to mention 2003's #1 Brittany Hunter who transferred to UCONN.

From 1994 to 2008, 13 out of 15 #1 players enrolled at (EDD) or played for Tennessee or Connecticut. That's pretty incredible:
Nykesha Sales, 1994 HS POY
Chamique Holdsclaw, 1995 HS POY
Shea Ralph, 1996, No. 1
Tamika Catchings, 1997, No. 1
Tamika Williams, 1998, No. 1
Diana Taurasi, 2000, No. 1 (I believe Ashley Robinson was #1 by some services, too)
Shyra Ely, 2001, No. 1
Ann Strother, 2002, No. 1
Brittany Hunter, 2003, No. 1
Candace Parker, 2004, No. 1
Tina Charles, 2006, No. 1
Maya Moore, 2007, No. 1
Elena Delle Donne, 2008, No. 1

The only ones who opted elsewhere were:
1999-Nina Smith, she chose Wisconsin but Tennessee was her #2 school.
2005-Courtney Paris, Oklahoma...UCONN was a finalist for her.

You has No. 1 Michelle Marciniak on Holdsclaw's freshman year. Astonishing facts about the two schools, though.

 

[WestCoastFan]

I think this theory will be tested starting next year. UCONN had DT for 3 of its titles, Stewart for 3, Maya Moore for 2. Those were not just number 1 players, those were three of the most talented players to ever play WCBB. There is obviously a difference in a number 1 player like Stewart and a number 1 player like Mercedes Russell. I am not saying that Geno is not a phenomenal coach, but to imply that talent level has not been a factor in UCONN's success is just silly.

Not paying attention, Trashman. Nobody implied talent wasn't a factor. The discussion is about useless player rankings. Would Russell develop and play better with a better coach/team? I would say yes.

 

[easttexastrash]

Would Russell develop and play better with a better coach/team? I would say yes.

I think she may be slightly better at other programs, but not exponentially. I said when I saw her in high school that I thought she would have a decent college career but never be a program changer, and I think that is how her career will progress.

 

[HuskyNan]

I think this theory will be tested starting next year. UCONN had DT for 3 of its titles, Stewart for 3, Maya Moore for 2. Those were not just number 1 players, those were three of the most talented players to ever play WCBB. There is obviously a difference in a number 1 player like Stewart and a number 1 player like Mercedes Russell. I am not saying that Geno is not a phenomenal coach, but to imply that talent level has not been a factor in UCONN's success is just silly.

Delaware, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Iowa State never won a championship despite having the No. 1 player. The OK team that played UConn in the NC game was led by Stacy Dales, not Courtney Paris. There are many factors that go into making a championship team and talent is only one.

 

[easttexastrash]

Not paying attention, Trashman. Nobody implied talent wasn't a factor. T

This statement kind of does imply that talent is not the factor that makes UCONN more successful.

"Why don't they win more? Give you a hint: Coaching, not player rankings."

 

[easttexastrash]

Delaware, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Iowa State never won a championship despite having the No. 1 player. The OK team that played UConn in the NC game was led by Stacy Dales, not Courtney Paris. There are many factors that go into making a championship team and talent is only one.

You are seriously going to mention Delaware as an example? Most of the teams that you mention get 1 highly ranked recruit and no supporting cast. UCONN's "supporting cast" is typically littered with top 10-20 recruits.

Duke is definitely an example of getting top players and not winning a championship.

 

[cohenzone]

You has No. 1 Michelle Marciniak on Holdsclaw's freshman year. Astonishing facts about the two schools, though.

It's astonishing but also says a lot about the state of the women's game for a lot of that time. There weren't that many teams in play and tte few top coaches stood out. Interesting that .Tara didn't nab any #1s in that time period given the respect she's had as a coach. I doubt academics is the only reason.

 

[donalddoowop]

Notre Dame is missing 2 starters (one of whom is ND's best player) and three McDonald's AA. UConn is missing 2 players who have not yet played a game for UConn (one of whom is a McDonald's AA). That is not even close to equivalent.

Who said anything about being equivalent? I was responding to a post. UCONN is missing a high school AA and a player who was the freshman of the year in her conference and has practiced for a year with UCONN. Plus, she is 6'5". There is not a lot of difference in the comparisons. No knows how the AA will perform or how much they were missed. Would they have even played in that game?

 

[Fightin Choke]

Who said anything about being equivalent? I was responding to a post. UCONN is missing a high school AA and a player who was the freshman of the year in her conference and has practiced for a year with UCONN. Plus, she is 6'5". There is not a lot of difference in the comparisons. No knows how the AA will perform or how much they were missed. Would they have even played in that game?

Considering that they were starters, yes, I'd imagine that Brianna Turner and Taya Reimer would have played today. Usually Muffet plays Turner and Reimer before she plays Kristina Nelson, who saw 13 minutes today and managed to pick 4 fouls and commit 3 TO's.

 

[WestCoastFan]

...without the deep bench.

Looked pretty deep today.

 

[DaddyChoc]

I have two wrecked shoulders, so I can empathize. It'd be far better to play ND at full strength.

do you plan on redshirtting?