ESPN preseason ranking

[VAUConnFan]

It's an interesting list that certainly has questions. Talent alone is dictating the rankings but to me, Gottlieb and Close are still highly suspect on the x's and o's side of the coaching components as is Kara Lawson (despite a stint as a USA Olympic coach).

Coach Lawson also had a stint with the Boston Celtics.

 

[jdote33]

Good discussion. I appreciate the sentiment, Geno with undoubtedly a top 5 player in the country and loads of talent usually means really special things for UConn. But the other day Sue Bird was talking to Juju Watkins about how they kinda have a super team at USC. I just think the landscape of wcbb with the transfer portal is so different. Kiki going to USC is just a move you wouldn't see though it's complicated with Tara retiring. I just think the way teams load up on experienced talent is just a bit different and makes it much harder to win a championship.

I think Geno put together a really good schedule that is a bit lighter to start the season. So I think if the team can win early they will build confidence. It will make the tough December more manageable.

I think they should be top 5 all year.

 

[oldhusky]

I think after South Carolina, the next 6 are pretty close and I wouldn't argue with whatever order they were in. Those top 7, however, are a separate tier, and I think there is a significant falloff after that. I would be surprised if the ultimate champion wasn't one of those 7.

 

[Alydar]

Miles and Harmon are unproven but even with those questions for them, UConn still has more. Cheli has been dealing with a hamstring injury longer than just May. She has only ever been shown in rehab pictures never playing so I don’t think there is any reason to believe she’s good to go. Patterson and Fudd are doing drills but that doesn’t mean they are close to being cleared. Or will once the season starts.

Nor can we prove they are not ready.

 

[GirlBoo1020]

Nor can we prove they are not ready.

Except we know they are not healthy lol

 

[MSGRET]

I jinxed them last year. I an not prognosticating this year.

I just finished making the Prognosticator's Predictions tally sheets for all of the games except game number 6 and you aren't prognosticating this year because you think you jinxed them last year? You didn't jinx them the NCAA wanted CC playing in the Finals so the refs had to find a way to get it done.

 

[stamfordhusky]

Yea i can think of more than 7. South Carolina, USC, UCLA, Texas, Notre Dame, NC State, LSU, Iowa State, Baylor, Oklahoma, Ohio State.

Right now we don't have 14 players. Right now we only have 8/9 confirmed as cleared to play. Morgan has been dealing an hamstring injury since last January and wasn't cleared to play in June so yes it might take more than 6 months for her to heal. Is Ayanna back to full practices? I haven't seen that reported anywhere. I don't have any reason to believe Ayanna, Carol, Azzi, Morgan or Aubrey will be ready day one so i am not assuming they are or will be.

So you are basing your prediction on very speculative assumptions. I would be willing to bet that at least three of them will be good to go.

 

[stamfordhusky]

Except we know they are not healthy lol

We don’t know they are not healthy and more importantly, YOU do not know that they are not healthy. Three of them have had more than the normal time to recover from the injuries that they sustained.

 

[Alydar]

Except we know they are not healthy lol

I don't know. I believe that Patterson said back in the early summer that she would get re-evaluated in mid September. I expect her to get released for full activity.
I agree that it's likely that Griffin and Fudd won't be playing 5X5 yet but even with them out UConn is loaded. Arnold and Shade were playing well in the tournaments last season and yet they may lose their starting positions. When that is going on you know the team is deep.

In a couple of weeks I'll know who is practicing and who isn't.

 

[Cuango]

2 seems high for us early in the season. Too many huge question marks, i think 8-12 feels like a more realistic range right now.

What exactly are the “huge question marks”? We have the most talented roster in the country, we have the best player in the country, there is not a single player on our 14 woman roster that is not either a starter or a heavy rotational player on all but four or five teams in the country, we finally have a top quality big with real size, we have an elite recruiting class that includes the #1 player who appears to be a generational talent, we have an experienced backup PG who starred in a system that is virtually identical to ours, Azzi is looking like she will finally be healthy this season, KK & Ash have experience, Aubrey is looking good, we have a highly ranked backup (with experience) for Jana in Ice Brady, it is looking like Ayanna and Caroline might actually be able to play, and we have a bevy of good to elite shooters! I’m shocked we’re not number one! Nothing personal, but 8-12 is simply ludicrous! Anyone who ranks this team out of the top five is either delusional or biased! I could see Caroline and Ayanna as question marks and Azzi & Aubrey as perhaps uncertain as to when they will be fully cleared but even so, there is plenty of talent to carry this team until Azzi and Aubrey are ready. I’d love to hear the 8-11 teams that are better than us right now?

 

[GirlBoo1020]

What exactly are the “huge question marks”? We have the most talented roster in the country, we have the best player in the country, there is not a single player on our 14 woman roster that is not either a starter or a heavy rotational player on all but four or five teams in the country, we finally have a top quality big with real size, we have an elite recruiting class that includes the #1 player who appears to be a generational talent, we have an experienced backup PG who starred in a system that is virtually identical to ours, Azzi is looking like she will finally be healthy this season, KK & Ash have experience, Aubrey is looking good, we have a highly ranked backup (with experience) for Jana in Ice Brady, it is looking like Ayanna and Caroline might actually be able to play, and we have a bevy of good to elite shooters! I’m shocked we’re not number one! Nothing personal, but 8-12 is simply ludicrous! Anyone who ranks this team out of the top five is either delusional or biased! I could see Caroline and Ayanna as question marks and Azzi & Aubrey as perhaps uncertain as to when they will be fully cleared but even so, there is plenty of talent to carry this team until Azzi and Aubrey are ready. I’d love to hear the 8-11 teams that are better than us right now?

The only returning healthy post player we have is Ice Brady who struggled to crack a rotation with only one other post player in it. We have no idea what Jana will look like against real competition or Sarah for that matter.

We also have no idea what the injured players will look like upon return. They could be good to very far off from what they used to look like.

What we do know we have returning is a good, not great, group with no real size.

 

[Cuango]

UConn has had a plethora of #1 recruits, some of whom that did not meet the lofty expectation, but were still very good. Thus, the initial skepticism. It is unfair to expect so much from freshmen out of the gate, however, such is the present state of college basketball with last year's freshman class possibly raising unrealistic levels of expectation.

UConn is legitimately the second best team in the country - talent, coaching, tradition, and Paige Bueckers. They might stumble early as Strong develops, but come March, no program will want to be in UConn's region.

UConn has had a plethora of #1 recruits and you are right, some have been merely good rather than program changing. Megan Walker, Christyn Williams, and Katie Lou are three who, while very good, were not program changers. On the other hand, Stewie, Maya, were program changers. I would include Paige as a program changer as well even though she has not won a title. KML was yet another #1 who, while very good, I would not classify as a “changer” along with Azzi Fudd who simply has not had a chance yet. I believe Sarah is going to be in the same category as Stewie, Maya, and Paige. We will see.

 

[Cuango]

I think I may be nit-picking but as usual UConn's recruits' prospects are conditional while other teams' recruits are expected to contribute, without a doubt.

SCar:
Joyce Edwards, the 6-foot-3 No. 3 recruit in the country, leads another stellar freshmen class.

USC:


UConn:


Notice how only Strong needs to prove her worth. Smith is a given to contribute. Also notice how three top 30 recruits is great while UConn only has one I guess, even if their other two recruits are ranked higher than all of the USC recruits, including Kennedy Smith.

At least Charlie is consistent from year to year.

I would be willing to bet that virtually all coaches would choose our class over USC’s! No surprise of course that Charlie would not!

 

[Cuango]

Except we know they are not healthy lol

How do we know that? Are you getting special reports from the training staff/coaches? lol

 

[ucbart]

I think I may be nit-picking but as usual UConn's recruits' prospects are conditional while other teams' recruits are expected to contribute, without a doubt.

SCar:
Joyce Edwards, the 6-foot-3 No. 3 recruit in the country, leads another stellar freshmen class.

USC:


UConn:


Notice how only Strong needs to prove her worth. Smith is a given to contribute. Also notice how three top 30 recruits is great while UConn only has one I guess, even if their other two recruits are ranked higher than all of the USC recruits, including Kennedy Smith.

At least Charlie is consistent from year to year.

Thank you! ESPN is atrocious

 

[UConnCat]

2 seems high for us early in the season. Too many huge question marks, i think 8-12 feels like a more realistic range right now.

. Are you @hoopsnloops32 with another handle? That poster had UConn ranked #10-15 last season.

#8-12 means another Final Four to me! I’ll take it.

 

[UConnCat]

Yea i can think of more than 7. South Carolina, USC, UCLA, Texas, Notre Dame, NC State, LSU, Iowa State, Baylor, Oklahoma, Ohio State.

Right now we don't have 14 players. Right now we only have 8/9 confirmed as cleared to play. Morgan has been dealing an hamstring injury since last January and wasn't cleared to play in June so yes it might take more than 6 months for her to heal. Is Ayanna back to full practices? I haven't seen that reported anywhere. I don't have any reason to believe Ayanna, Carol, Azzi, Morgan or Aubrey will be ready day one so i am not assuming they are or will be.

Ohio State’s post players are?

 

[PacoSwede]

The only returning healthy post player we have is Ice Brady who struggled to crack a rotation with only one other post player in it. We have no idea what Jana will look like against real competition or Sarah for that matter.

We also have no idea what the injured players will look like upon return. They could be good to very far off from what they used to look like.

What we do know we have returning is a good, not great, group with no real size.

what a hoot!

i know trolls really love to indulge in this kind of BS, but otoh you add some real humor too. it's kind of neat to have someone stirring the BY pot with some innovative hilarity. thanks.

 

[PacoSwede]

UConn has had a plethora of #1 recruits, some of whom that did not meet the lofty expectation, but were still very good. Thus, the initial skepticism. It is unfair to expect so much from freshmen out of the gate, however, such is the present state of college basketball with last year's freshman class possibly raising unrealistic levels of expectation.

UConn is legitimately the second best team in the country - talent, coaching, tradition, and Paige Bueckers. They might stumble early as Strong develops, but come March, no program will want to be in UConn's region.

that has been standard practice for at least 20++ years, of course. that's why some have said uconn was 'bad for basketball.' ... hope that continues indefinitely.

 

[yhun89]

The only returning healthy post player we have is Ice Brady who struggled to crack a rotation with only one other post player in it. We have no idea what Jana will look like against real competition or Sarah for that matter.

We also have no idea what the injured players will look like upon return. They could be good to very far off from what they used to look like.

What we do know we have returning is a good, not great, group with no real size.

Uhh...

No real size?

CD: 6'2
MC: 6'2
AP: 6'2
IB: 6'3/6'4
JEA: 6'5
SS: 6'2
AG: 6'1

Trolling maybe? Plethora of forwards. Some athletic, some incredibly strong. WDYM, "no real size."

 

[GirlBoo1020]

Uhh...

No real size?

CD: 6'2
MC: 6'2
AP: 6'2
IB: 6'3/6'4
JEA: 6'5
SS: 6'2
AG: 6'1

Trolling maybe? Plethora of forwards. Some athletic, some incredibly strong. WDYM, "no real size."

If you read my post, I am not counting CD, AP, JEA, MC or AG because they are not healthy right now. So its 6'3 Ice Brady and 6'2" Sarah Strong.

what a hoot!

i know trolls really love to indulge in this kind of BS, but otoh you add some real humor too. it's kind of neat to have someone stirring the BY pot with some innovative hilarity. thanks.

I am really not trolling and don't get what is so controversial about saying we are 8--12 range until we have a full roster at least??? We were in that range all season last year and the season before. It seems exceedingly reasonable to to expect us to be around that same range until proven otherwise, no?

How do we know that? Are you getting special reports from the training staff/coaches? lol

Yes! Geno himself said they weren't cleared back in June! We have not gotten any updates or indicators that the status' have changed so I am keeping steady with the most recent update.

 

[sun]

Did anyone else notice that the article mentions that Mir McLean is now playing for Maryland?

I did notice some of the other ranked teams (including UCLA) that have multiple superbigs as a result of transfers.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for UConn this year, but we should already know that only results matter, not rankings.

 

[yhun89]

If you read my post, I am not counting CD, AP, JEA, MC or AG because they are not healthy right now. So its 6'3 Ice Brady and 6'2" Sarah Strong.

I am really not trolling and don't get what is so controversial about saying we are 8--12 range until we have a full roster at least??? We were in that range all season last year and the season before. It seems exceedingly reasonable to to expect us to be around that same range until proven otherwise, no?

Yes! Geno himself said they weren't cleared back in June! We have not gotten any updates or indicators that the status' have changed so I am keeping steady with the most recent update.

Jana has been all set for awhile. She tore her achilles more than a year ago. She's more than done protocol by now.

Other posts you've made make me think you're brand new to the game or trolling. Like this one earlier in this thread.

"Yea i can think of more than 7. South Carolina, USC, UCLA, Texas, Notre Dame, NC State, LSU, Iowa State, Baylor, Oklahoma, Ohio State."

OSU is NOT in the same category as SC, USC, Texas, ND, UCONN, NC State, or UCLA right now. They lost too much and didn't bring enough back. Cambridge and Petty will not win them even a B1G championship. The loss of Sheldon and Taylor is huge on their defense, and I do not think it'll be anywhere near as good as it was last year and the year before.

 

[stamfordhusky]

How do we know that? Are you getting special reports from the training staff/coaches? lol

GirlBoo does not know that, and it is likely not accurate. Girlboo is an anti-UConn troll.

 

[Tonyc]

We showed last season with a limited and pretty much inexperienced roster how to stop top teams some of which we will face this season with a much deeper roster and a more talented roster. If we are healthy and it appears from early reports we are we are the team to beat. Paige, surrounded by all this talent will be almost unstoppable. That alone will carry us. Paige Azzi and Chen give us guards who can score and create and no team in WCBB has a trio like that. Playing defense like we did last season with more experience and a deeper roster with height tells me we are gonna be really really tuff to beat. The keys are stay healthy. We have way to much talent and depth of talent to not be able to handle opponents. I was thinking the past few seasons it would be the Paige and Azzi show. This year will be only with alot more talent surrounding them who can play up to their standards. We're Back. Bigger Stronger and Deeper then ever