Hypothetical: Z and Crystal Dangerfield Both Start - Who Doesn't? | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Hypothetical: Z and Crystal Dangerfield Both Start - Who Doesn't?

If Azura and Crystal both started next year, which of this year's starters wouldn't?

  • Kia

    Votes: 41 57.7%
  • Gabby

    Votes: 10 14.1%
  • Lou

    Votes: 10 14.1%
  • Napheesa

    Votes: 10 14.1%

  • Total voters
    71

oldude

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I know what you meant, but to me you are making the argument that Crystal Dangerfield should start :cool:
John Havelicek was my favorite basketball player. It's because of Hondo that the NBA invented the 6th Man Award in the 1st place. Just like Hondo, Danger will get her opportunity to start, probably as a junior, but next season she's going to win my 6th man award by terrorizing opponents off the bench.
 
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Make it easy why don't you! :eek: Assuming as they stand without expected improvements.
I say Lou sits. Collier and Nurse have more complete games than Lou. Both shoot the 3 ball as well or better (as they did this year). Nurse's leadership is needed. Can't see pulling 300+ rebounds and respectively 69% and 58% FG% each by Collier and Williams. Can't see sitting Williams with 190 assists and 100 steals. Pull the team's engine? No.

You are saying that you would sit a first team all-american (Katie Lou) for a still unproven player(Crystal)? Unbelievable!
 

Sluconn Husky

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Geno treats transfers as freshman so the starting 5 should be the same as this year with Dangerfield taking chongs spot to start the season. From there it goes by how well they do in practice as to how much playing time they get.

Geno's not treating Azura Stevens as a freshmen, no way, no how. He was practically giddy discussing her a couple months ago.
 
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Geno treats transfers as freshman so the starting 5 should be the same as this year with Dangerfield taking chongs spot to start the season. From there it goes by how well they do in practice as to how much playing time they get.
Cite your sources?
 

SVCBeercats

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You are saying that you would sit a first team all-american (Katie Lou) for a still unproven player(Crystal)? Unbelievable!
The proposed question said both Stevens and Dangerfield MUST start. So since KLS's total game is not as good as Nurse, Collier, and Williams, she sits. Nurse has proved she is the better 3FG shooter as is Collier. I suppose you would sit Nurse since she is "only" an AA honorable mention even though she and Gabby are the team leaders?

Meyers posted the same objection to me. Here is my response to him and now you. "Thank you, I thought so! Brilliant! Yes, of course. Who are you going to sit in this never to happen hypothetical question with no correct answer or opinion?" :D Meyers, to his credit understands it is only a hypothetical question. He understands this is just a marking time question.

Why is it so unbelievable to sit probably the 5th best player on the team? :eek::rolleyes: Heh! Heh! I see a twitch near your left eye. A really fast one. :p Hell even Geno implied he would sit KLS if she did listen to coaching and improve her whole game. He said he had to play people this year, next year he will not have to play any given player.

Relax! Rest assured the starters WILL be Collier, Williams, Nurse, Stevens and Samuelson. Dangerfield and Camara will get plenty of minutes off the bench. Perhaps one or two of the freshmen will develop into positive contributors. So has the valium taken effect. ;)
 
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I think Uconn has 2 many players who can play the 4 for Camara to have a big impact this season. I think her time will come next year and beyond, I think Walker will be the one pushing for playing time, ever time she talks about Uconn walker is very businesslike, maybe not a deadly shooter, I think with her skill set Geno will use Walker as a 2,3, and 4. It also wouldn't be such a bad idea for Geno to try and run the offensive thru Williams.
 

huskeynut

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Geno treats transfers as freshman so the starting 5 should be the same as this year with Dangerfield taking chongs spot to start the season. From there it goes by how well they do in practice as to how much playing time they get.

I will disagree with you. Stevens and Camara have been with the program for a season now. They are no longer "freshman." As for the practice, I agree.
 
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Very compelling arguments for Crystal to start next year. And IMO Azura will definitely start. So who DOESN'T start?

IMO there has never been a compelling argument for Crystal. It's the mistaken belief that you need a better ball-handler when UCONN would have 5 pretty good ball-handlers without her to start the game. Pushing the ball-handling issue while ignoring the defense - is similar to a movie I remember called The Fugitive. Tommy Lee asked the detectives why Kimble killed his wife and they said "For the money." They were nearly laughed at - and told the Detectives that Kimble was a doctor so he was already rich. And the detectives said "well she was more rich."

It's the same story here. Our ball handling is pretty good but it is the rebounding and size that's the problem. There's enough ball-handling (UCONN is rich enough with ball-handling.) There is no way Geno is going to reward Danger when she didn't do that much this year. Maybe early on he might because he wants to light up some other players - maybe even Stevens. But if you have his interview when he's on the floor for the UCLA game he says UCLAA was a bad matchup.

Two big reasons for the bad matchup was the pg difference and the physicality/size of the posts from the other team crashing the boards. He said that about UCLA's rebounding. Next year with one swoop he can take of the rebounding by using Az- an HM A/A whom he has said could be the number 1 pick in 2 years. He's not going to reward Danger until she shows she can control the elite quick guards. But he's not going to put Gabby and Napheesa at risk because some of you perceive "he needs ball-handling" when we do KNOW he does need more size to rebound so he can put Collier and Gabby in their natural positions.

I love Danger but she only brings one thing - offense - and she wasn't that efficient at it this year. And she is a detriment on defense at the moment. AZ brings offense and defense. And I wouldn't rule out that Danger starts out in the doghouse next year.
 
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I think UConn has 2 many players who can play the 4 for Camara to have a big impact this season. I think her time will come next year and beyond, I think Walker will be the one pushing for playing time, ever time she talks about UConn walker is very businesslike, maybe not a deadly shooter, I think with her skill set Geno will use Walker as a 2,3, and 4. It also wouldn't be such a bad idea for Geno to try and run the offensive thru Williams.


I don't think Walker will be a 4.
 

Sluconn Husky

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It should be noted that Jefferson was given the starting PG role immediately as a soph and developed quickly. Not out of the realm of possibility that Dangerfield can do the same.

Dangerfield and Jefferson had eerily similar stats per minute played as freshmen with the exception of Dangerfield's advantage in assists.
 

MilfordHusky

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It should be noted that Jefferson was given the starting PG role immediately as a soph and developed quickly. Not out of the realm of possibility that Dangerfield can do the same.

Dangerfield and Jefferson had eerily similar stats per minute played as freshmen with the exception of Dangerfield's advantage in assists.
If I recall correctly, Mo had a decent start as a sophomore, but really got in gear in January with some great defensive games and a big jump in her shooting percentage. I thought she played at or near an All-American level the last 2 months of the year. As a junior, she again had a somewhat slow start, but began to excel in December. In her senior year, she wreaked havoc from day one. And she hasn't slowed down.
 
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Everybody seems to be assuming that either Crystal or Azura will start next year, but not both. Just as a force ranking exercise (real world), what if BOTH of them start? Which of last years starters comes off the bench?

This isn't a, "That's not gonna happen - we can't do that to one of this year's starters" poll. If that's your answer, then feel free not to participate. But, what if.....?
The question isn't who will start; but rather how is Geno going to keep 11 excellent players satisfied with minutes; he has never been one to go too deep with the bench. Irwin, Bent and Butler might as well leave if they want to play any basketball next year.
 
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Geno has traditionally been loyal to his returning players and because this years team ended the season on such a disappointing note he will start the 4 returning starters adding a 5th IMHO it will be Azura Stevens, the 2018 Player of the year in waiting!
 
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I don't think Crystal will start With the Graduation of Saniya Chong, I see Stevens in the starting lineup with Kia, KLS, Gabby, and Napheesa. Geno won't have a true PG. Crystal will lead the players coming off the bench to form a second starting unit. I didn't vote.
I agree 100% with this. Geno will NEVER not start Kia, he just won't. I don't know much about Stevens but Crystal has left me very very unimpressed. Crystal does have a tremendous up side and if she builds a real game and learns to play D she could be a major contributor. Down side is there will be many very talented players sitting out significant minutes as this team is just soooo deep.
 
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Geno has traditionally been loyal to his returning players and because this years team ended the season on such a disappointing note he will start the 4 returning starters adding a 5th IMHO it will be Azura Stevens, the 2018 Player of the year in waiting!
Not seeing the logic here.....????
 
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It should be noted that Jefferson was given the starting PG role immediately as a soph and developed quickly. Not out of the realm of possibility that Dangerfield can do the same.

Dangerfield and Jefferson had eerily similar stats per minute played as freshmen with the exception of Dangerfield's advantage in assists.

It should be also noted that she turned the corner her frosh year and started playing really well at the end of year. Why assume it was "the minutes" and not "the talent?" Therefore she would have been playing well whether it be 20 minutes or 30.
 

Sluconn Husky

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It should be also noted that she turned the corner her frosh year and started playing really well at the end of year. Why assume it was "the minutes" and not "the talent?" Therefore she would have been playing well whether it be 20 minutes or 30.

Dangerfield played extremely well at times too including a stretch at the end of the regular season and into the conference tourney. It was at that time that Geno was praising her upside and talking about her potentially being the next Olympic PG. Regardless, she needs court time to develop and the staff will have to determine if she will get enough coming off the bench.
 
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Everybody seems to be assuming that either Crystal or Azura will start next year, but not both. Just as a force ranking exercise (real world), what if BOTH of them start? Which of last years starters comes off the bench?

This isn't a, "That's not gonna happen - we can't do that to one of this year's starters" poll. If that's your answer, then feel free not to participate. But, what if.....?
Not my opinion but I'm ready to read that in this scenario that some here would say KLS. Her critics continue saying she's soft and is a weak defender so that she is seemingly the weakest link insofar as Gabby and Pheesa are concerned. And then we have Kia whose three point shooting in the latter part of the season was through the roof and who is a staunch defender so that only leaves Katy Lou, right? I'm certainly not expressing my opinion because KLS is MY favorite Huskie but with all the innuendo I heard on the Boneyard, particularly over the past few weeks of this season, that's what I'm inclined to think will be posted!
 
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Gabby would sit. But this is an extreme hypothetical as far as I'm concerned, because CD is going to have to do a lot more growing before she can be trusted as PG in my opinion with Kia not on the floor.
I so agree with everything you said. If I could give ten likes, I would have because Crystal keeps the ball in her hands for too much of most possessions, as far as I could see. A lot of dribbling and that's so far away from the type of ball that we all like to see. The more ball movement, the better for everyone. That's what makes this team a very dangerous offensive oriented monster.
 

RockyMTblue2

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I so agree with everything you said. If I could give ten likes, I would have because Crystal keeps the ball in her hands for too much of most possessions, as far as I could see. A lot of dribbling and that's so far away from the type of ball that we all like to see. The more ball movement, the better for everyone. That's what makes this team a very dangerous offensive oriented monster.

What took you so long? ;) If we become too politically correct on this board to speak the truth as we see it, then we might as well pack it in.
 
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Make it easy why don't you! :eek: Assuming as they stand without expected improvements.
I say Lou sits. Collier and Nurse have more complete games than Lou. Both shoot the 3 ball as well or better (as they did this year). Nurse's leadership is needed. Can't see pulling 300+ rebounds and respectively 69% and 58% FG% each by Collier and Williams. Can't see sitting Williams with 190 assists and 100 steals. Pull the team's engine? No.
I can assure you that if KLS played less minutes, you wouldn't see the same numbers from Collier and Gabby because the defenses would certainly focus on them more than they did this year. Most people don't seem to realize the attention that KLS gets from the opposing defense. I know this is just a hypothetical situation but the day that Crystal Dangerfield gets a start over KLS is a sad one in the annals of UConn women's basketball. I knew that there would be those who would name KLS because of all the different posts where Gabby or Pheesa were spoken of as POY type players while there was criticism of KLS being banged around, not strong enough and weak on defense. As I've mentioned, if others on this team were hammered game after game like KLS was, their performances would surely have been affected mightily.
 
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What took you so long? ;) If we become too politically correct on this board to speak the truth as we see it, then we might as well pack it in.
I did get chastised a bit ago because I evidently was "too harsh" in suggesting that Crystal Dangerfield's decision making needed some work. I'm inclined to think it's from someone who thinks that any criticism of any kind, no matter how subtle, is child (or young lady) abuse. We should all love these girls (actually we do) but never say anything that may hurt their feelings. I wonder how many of them would be able to watch a Geno practice and not have him up on charges?
 
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Dangerfield played extremely well at times too including a stretch at the end of the regular season and into the conference tourney. It was at that time that Geno was praising her upside and talking about her potentially being the next Olympic PG. Regardless, she needs court time to develop and the staff will have to determine if she will get enough coming off the bench.
As has been mentioned, you earn your minutes. Who on this team would not improve with more playing time. It's about how much that person would improve and at what cost. They earn the opportunity to improve in practice, which is said to be much harder than any potential game situations so that's their opportunity. Your remark seems to suggest that when Crystal Dangerfield is good, she's very good but when she's bad, whew!!! Really awful!
 
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There actually is a danger (pun alert!) in this incredible embarrassment of riches.

If Crystal DOESN'T start--and I agree that that's the likeliest scenario even if it means UConn starts the season without a true point--she may not really fulfill her destiny as a premier point guard. The games when Kia was hurt showed she played well when given lots of playing time. If she doesn't get the big minutes next year, she'll essentially start her junior year with a big burden, with very talented players behind her.
If Walker is as good as she's reported to be, than maybe Dangerfield won't even be the first person off the bench most games. So early to make any judgements and even then, what we judge the answer to be may be based on what we hear and a moment here or there. The significant thing is what the staff and in particular Geno thinks, is the answer for this team.
 

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