Fifth Starter

[BigBird]

I would be shocked if KLS and Phee aren’t starters this season. The real Danger will run the point. Pretty safe guesses so far. Walker will be the fourth starter. Now comes the question as to who the fifth starter will be. It wouldn’t surprise me if Kyla or Olivia gets the nod. So, if I’m right (it happens sometimes), how well would either of these two have to be to keep their spot if they were given it? What would we reasonably expect of them?

 

[CocoHusky]

The expectation of the 5th starter is the same as the other 4 starters. Move the ball, shoot when open, & defend you position. The only additional element from the position of the 5th Starter is to protect the rim which is the main reason I don't see it happening for Kyla. I think Kyla has only recorded 1 block shot in her 2 years at UCONN. Camara has been mentioned as the other potential starter but she has not generated much buzz and the summer is almost over.
Pencil me in for the 5th starter averaging 22 MPG, 7.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.5 bpg and Olivia is that type of player.

 

[Carnac]

I would be shocked if KLS and Phee aren’t starters this season. The real Danger will run the point. Pretty safe guesses so far. Walker will be the fourth starter. Now comes the question as to who the fifth starter will be. It wouldn’t surprise me if Kyla or Olivia gets the nod. So, if I’m right (it happens sometimes), how well would either of these two have to be to keep their spot if they were given it? What would we reasonably expect of them?

There are three "locks" this season in the starting lineup: Collier, Samuelson and Dangerfield. Nothing to be shocked about there. If I had a farm, I'd bet it that Walker becomes a starter, and remains one the next 3 years.

Now the question is who will be that 5th starter. Will it be one of the freshmen, or perhaps one of the reserves from last year.

I must admit that I'm starting to feel the vibe that Christyn is putting down. If you don't believe in you, why would you expect others to?

With the graduation loss of Gabby and Kia, UConn may look vulnerable to some right now, but that will change come the end of November. Other than Notre Dame and Baylor, nobody on their schedule will look forward to playing them.

Right now, Baylor and Notre Dame appear to be the biggest "challenges" on the Huskies' schedule. The Golden Domers should open the season ranked #1, as Muffet McGraw will return what many believe is the best team she's had in over a decade. Baylor should be right behind them at #2. In his way too early 2018-2019 WCBB rankings, Charlie Creme has the Oregon Ducks at #2, and Baylor at #3.

UConn has 3 months before official practice starts, and 107 days before their season opening exhibition game against NAIA Vanguard (Costa Mesa, CA) on Sun Nov 4. A lot can happen between now and then, as players will be jockeying for rotation slots on the bench.

Who will be the 6th man???? Of course all this is speculation. We're just too far out right now to do anything other that guess, because we don't know who is going to separate themselves from the pack once official practice begins, which could be a factor in who Geno tabs as that 5th starter.

There's been a lot of talk about the freshmen so far this summer. No one is talking about Mikayla, Lexie or Batouly. They definitely figure in Geno's plans this season. Will these ladies be ready to play this year? Has anyone heard anything about them this summer?

It would not surprise me if Camara (not saying she will) got the nod as the 5th starter. She started 15 games as a freshman at Kentucky. She has matured. She'll be 22 on November 2. She has been in the program for two years, she should know the system/scheme by now. She should be completely healthy to begin the season, and extremely motivated.


Speaking of Katie Lou Samuelson, I spotted her tonight at the Sparks/Fever game. No doubt here to watch and support big sister Karlie, and do some "recon" on what she can look forward to next year, as she is pegged to be a high WNBA 1st round draft choice in 2019.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I've been saying right along that the 5 starters to begin the season will be:
Crystal Dangerfield at PG
Meg Walker at SG
KLS at SF
Pheesa at PF
Batouly at C
with CW 1st G off the bench and ONO 1st F/C off the bench
Batouly, when healthy is a beast on the boards and accurate to 12' to 15'! If she can revert back to the freshman at KY Batouly she can be a huge + for the Huskies!
I don't think ONO at her thin build to start the season can bang on the boards with our opponents bigs. As she gains weight, strength and experience she'll garner more playing time!
And anyway it's not who starts but who plays at crunch time! Remember Carolyn Doty started but didn't play major minutes!
I agree with Scoop above that ND and Baylor will be our biggest competition! But I'll put myself out on a limb saying that the return of the injured players for ND will bring more problems to the Irish than benefits! It was a perfect storm last year the injuries made everyone left aware of their responsibilities and the margin of error was small with the additional players needing playing time there won't be the hunger and desperation that showed itself last year! ND won't be sneaking up on opponents this season!

 

[Shorty Dee]

We know the starting 3, so no need to name them. If healthy and able to play longer minutes, I think Batouly could be a starter. Coach Geno speaks highly of CW, so I don't know if she gets the starting position or Megan. Mikayla is still dealing with her medical condition, and hasn't been cleared to practice or play. I love Kyla, but I do not see her coming off the bench before Olivia.

 

[connboy77]

It would not surprise me if C Williams is the fifth starter. I know Geno does not like to start freshmen, but this is not an ordinary freshman!

 

[ucbart]

It would not surprise me if C Williams is the fifth starter. I know Geno does not like to start freshmen, but this is not an ordinary freshman!

I will not lie, Christyn is the most exciting player to come in as a freshman since Breanna. She just happens to play a position that a 4-year starter vacated and I think she will start at SG from Day 1 and will stay there for four years. She is just so tough, talented, and so offensively gifted. I think we will run a 5 out offense that uses a lot of cutting like we've been doing for the past 2 years and that Walker will assume Gabby's role at the FT line.

All strictly speculation on my part. But when you're as height challenged as we are, I think you start your 5 best players.

CD
Christyn
Lou
Pheesa
Meghan

That's my prediction. We will be a threat from 3 from every position. The downfall, we will be a really poor defensive team at the start and teams with big post players(ND/Oregon/Baylor) will eat us for lunch on the block.

 

[DEpup]

I'm thinking Camara starts the season as a starter but not sure she'll end the season as a starter.....

 

[oldude]

I'm thinking Camara starts the season as a starter but not sure she'll end the season as a starter.....

I too think the lineup will evolve over the season. After Lou, Pheesa, Crystal and Megan, Geno will go with whatever returning player works hard and demonstrates the best grasp of the system. In November, that may well be Kyla.

Kyla’s minutes will be limited with Batouly and possibly Mikayla getting some PT off the bench, with either one potentially taking the starting role.

At some point in the season, one of the freshman will become the 5th starter. While I would love for that person to be ONO, I think it’s much harder for a BIG to figure out college basketball, and while Liv should contribute, with her slender frame, she will get knocked around significantly this coming year.

Ultimately, I think CW becomes the 5th starter. That could happen very early, but no later than mid season imo.

So essentially, UConn will have a very similar team to last season. Megan & CW replace Gabby & Kia. Lou, Pheesa & Crystal remain the same, only better. ONO is likely to be the 6th player off the bench, replacing Z. Hopefully, the Huskies can get additional contributions from the usual suspects: Batouly, Mikayla, Kyla, Molly & Lexie.

Will that be enough? We shall see...

 

[Bigboote]

I don't see a freshman starting the first few games, and I also think that starting doesn't necessarily equal lots of minutes. Recall that Caroline Doty continued to start even after she was a shadow of her former self. Geno wanted her calming influence at the beginning of the game. I think the spot is Camara's to lose. If she's healthy, she's a good defender and rebounder; as long as she's not a turnover machine, I think she'll play the first five minutes. If she's a really good defender and/or shows consistent offense, she'll play 20-30 minutes a game.

 

[huskeynut]

Not being at Storrs to see how the summer has gone, this is a stab in the dark.

Either Camara or Williams will be the 5th starter. CD, Pheesa, Lou and Megan are the other four. I have no idea how this will shake out. EAch player brings something different to the table. Camara has been very quiet all summer - not a bad thing. Williams has been the exact opposite. I like Williams moxie and confidence. A little "tude" is always a good thing.

Even though it is only July - let the games begin!

 

[HopJim]

We know the starting 3, so no need to name them. If healthy and able to play longer minutes, I think Batouly could be a starter. Coach Geno speaks highly of CW, so I don't know if she gets the starting position or Megan. Mikayla is still dealing with her medical condition, and hasn't been cleared to practice or play. I love Kyla, but I do not see her coming off the bench before Olivia.

Have mentioned this previously, but predict there will be no consistent 5th starter until the playoffs. Agree with all of Shorty's comments but feel Batouly, Williams, and Ono will rotate through based on their practice performance and the skills and lineup of the next game's competition.

 

[Go/huskies]

With decent size, arms that go on forever, and new back to the basket moves, it sounds like Walker will play in the post this year. I would put Williams in as the 5th starter, ONO as the 6th man. Uconn hasn’t started a true center for the last 2 years so not starting one now won’t hurt the team, a lack of what looks like depth could be the one thing that will hurt, I see the team going 6 maybe 7 deep this season.

 

[Gus Mahler]

If I had a farm, I'd bet it that Walker becomes a starter, and remains one the next 3 years. Agree. I'd bet the farm and all the bales of hay.

There's been a lot of talk about the freshmen so far this summer. No one is talking about Mikayla, Lexie or Batouly. They definitely figure in Geno's plans this season. Will these ladies be ready to play this year? Has anyone heard anything about them this summer?
I wish we could hear more about Mikayla. It's sad that she's lost a good part of the summer for developing her game. I think she could be a key player by providing depth.
It would not surprise me if Camara (not saying she will) got the nod as the 5th starter. Right now, if I were betting (not the farm), I would go for her starting at the beginning of the season. The question is whether ONO takes over at some point or comes off the bench. I would think that by March she would be the best choice. The tendency to foul is a concern for Camara. Time will tell on ONO.

 

[Gus Mahler]

I've been saying right along that the 5 starters to begin the season will be:
Crystal Dangerfield at PG
Meg Walker at SG
KLS at SF
Pheesa at PF
Batouly at C
with CW 1st G off the bench and ONO 1st F/C off the bench
Batouly, when healthy is a beast on the boards and accurate to 12' to 15'! If she can revert back to the freshman at KY Batouly she can be a huge + for the Huskies!
I don't think ONO at her thin build to start the season can bang on the boards with our opponents bigs. As she gains weight, strength and experience she'll garner more playing time!
And anyway it's not who starts but who plays at crunch time! Remember Carolyn Doty started but didn't play major minutes!
I agree with Scoop above that ND and Baylor will be our biggest competition! But I'll put myself out on a limb saying that the return of the injured players for ND will bring more problems to the Irish than benefits! It was a perfect storm last year the injuries made everyone left aware of their responsibilities and the margin of error was small with the additional players needing playing time there won't be the hunger and desperation that showed itself last year! ND won't be sneaking up on opponents this season!

Good post. I agree with your lineup. It'll be interesting to see how ND turns out. They could well be a 38-0 juggernaut. But you make a good point about their bushel of talent possibly causing some problems.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Christyn is one heckuva rebounder for her size. I think she may be a starter, but I’m still leaning toward Olivia. When CW comes in for a change of pace, she lights it up.

I totally agree that Meg starts. The other 3 are obvious.

 

[paisan]

Let us not forget that without inside rebounding and defense they will not be able to beat the better teams. Lou and pheesa will need to step it up in these areas. If it was me coaching I would give Ono a lot of game time and a lot of instruction. She is the future. You all seem to think the offense is the key ...it is not.

 

[JustinesGuy]

I hope its BC on day one and CW come Conference or tournament time.

If that happens we will all be happy cause it means CW is having an amazing impact this year, and its the rare freshman that can figure it out quick, start and make an impact.
We will see what happens

 

[Carnac]

Let us not forget that without inside rebounding and defense they will not be able to beat the better teams. Lou and pheesa will need to step it up in these areas. If it was me coaching I would give Ono a lot of game time and a lot of instruction. She is the future. You all seem to think the offense is the key ...it is not.

It wasn't that long ago during UConn's dominance during the the "Stewie" era that they consistently held opponents under 60 points per game. I would very much like to see a return to that dynamic as a team goal for every game this season. Scoring points will take care of itself. Geno has said many times that most of the time they can get whatever they want. If you limit your opponent to one shot per possession, pound the defensive boards hard, take good shots on your end of the court, and limit the turn overs, you're going to be a very hard team to beat. Limit the touches and the time of possession for your opponent, and you should be fine. Every second you have the ball is a second they don't.

 

[Charliebball]

Azura's decision to leave really made our lives so much more interesting..............

 

[victor64]

I hope its BC on day one and CW come Conference or tournament time.

If that happens we will all be happy cause it means CW is having an amazing impact this year, and its the rare freshman that can figure it out quick, start and make an impact.
We will see what happens

Point of view is a weird thing. I hope BC grabs the starting spot and maintains it the whole year. It would validate the reasons Geno accepted her transfer from Kentucky. CW and ONO are going to play a lot. I hope Geno is able to bring them along at the pace he wants to and not have them play a bunch of minutes because he has no other viable options.

 

[JustinesGuy]

Point of view is a weird thing. I hope BC grabs the starting spot and maintains it the whole year. It would validate the reasons Geno accepted her transfer from Kentucky. CW and ONO are going to play a lot. I hope Geno is able to bring them along at the pace he wants to and not have them play a bunch of minutes because he has no other viable options.

I think BC is a nice player. I think CW has a much higher ceiling and may be a dominate impact player. I want that player on the court. If CW is that type of player come years end then I’m extremely happy. I don’t think that takes away from why Geno brought BC into the program.
I predicted BC as this years 5th starter when last years season ended and I will stick to my prediction.

Only time will tell

 

[JustinesGuy]

Azura's decision to leave really made our lives so much more interesting....

That was very unexpected. Didn’t do us any good.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I think BC is a nice player. I think CW has a much higher ceiling and may be a dominate impact player. I want that player on the court. If CW is that type of player come years end then I’m extremely happy. I don’t think that takes away from why Geno brought BC into the program.
I predicted BC as this years 5th starter when last years season ended and I will stick to my prediction.

Only time will tell

CW’s ceiling is in the clouds.

 

[JustinesGuy]

CW’s ceiling is in the clouds.

Perfect! Thats the type of player we will want in our starting lineup when ready. I agree with you, I like what I see and hear.