Is Lou The Best Transfer UConn Has Ever Had | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Is Lou The Best Transfer UConn Has Ever Had

Centerstream said:
I think that she is the best when it comes to providing an immediate impact.
Expand ...
Lou is doing very well for UCONN and much better than some of anticipated. Keep in mind that Azura was required to sit a year upon her arrival at UCONN because that was the NCAA rule at the time. Once she was eligible to play her impact was also immediate because KLS went down with in in jury in the Cal ( 2nd game of the season) which forced Azura into the starting line up. Azura was stellar in those starts. #15 Maryland she had 18 Points and 12 Rebounds: #5 UCLA 6 Points 5 rebounds: Michigan Sate 25 Points and 16 rebounds; Nevada 17 Points 14 rebounds ; #3 ND ( Not a starter) 17 Points 8 rebounds.
 
CocoHusky said:
Your knowledge is severely lacking. Azura put up one of the best seasons in UCONN history when objectively analyzed on a per minute basis
Expand ...
Factually you are correct. Azura put up one of the best seasons in UCONN history. Interestingly, for many of us that's not the perception that she had created when she left the way she did.

Whether or not some of us had our judgement clouded is a matter of opinion, not fact.
 
Bald Huskie said:
I'm sorry, but I don't consider Azura a real Husky. She sat a year, played the next, not to my knowledge a great year, still learning the UConn way. She had the chance to really contribute but decided to bolt for the WNBA. No loyalty to our program when she could have been the difference maker in our quest for the NC. She turned our back on us, and that I can't forget. I'm sorry to feel this way, but I do. The best transfers are Lou and Evina by far. Evinas contribution was emence, not only the playing but the assistence she gave to our freshmen. Lou, already she has shown how valuable she is, and she is showing that she IS a true Husky.
Expand ...
I do not have an opinion on what is a “true” Husky to another person. I am just wondering if Autumn Chassion was a true Husky? How about Morgan Tuck or Megan Walker, both who if they returned for another year would have probably won the national championship. I personally still am not happy with Samari Walker, and Torino on the men’s side, for leaving, but what is the definition of a “true” Husky?
 
Last edited:
tkaes said:
Factually you are correct. Azura put up one of the best seasons in UCONN history. Interestingly, for many of us that's not the perception that she had created when she left the way she did.

Whether or not some of us had our judgement clouded is a matter of opinion, not fact.
Expand ...
I stand by that opinion and would actually like to double down. That "clouded judgement" (by a few ) is also applicable to Natalie Butler, Morgan Tuck, and Megan Walker. Because these players chose to leave UCONN with remaining eligibility the on court UCONN performances as readily diminished and they are called "disloyal" and "not real Huskies".
 
.-.
From what I've seen so far, I'd say she's the "best fit" transfer UCONN has had. She's come in and hit the ground running and seems to fit in quite well.

Stevens unquestionably was the most talented transfer, but I don't think her addition improved UCONN in 2017-18 due to roster personnel and how her addition affected players like Collier/Williams, both of whom were not as good as they were in 2016-17.
 
CocoHusky said:
I stand by that opinion and would actually like to double down. That "clouded judgement" (by a few ) is also applicable to Natalie Butler, Morgan Tuck, and Megan Walker. Because these players chose to leave UCONN with remaining eligibility the on court UCONN performances as readily diminished and they are called "disloyal" and "not real Huskies".
Expand ...
I agree with your overall point, with a little nuance.

I don’t think many had a “clouded judgement” regarding Butler and Tuck. Most BY folks supported their departure for what they considered were understandable reasons.

If anything, I think Walker might have been faulted even more for leaving early.

Not saying what my position is, just making an observation.
 
While Lou is not the most talented basketball player to transfer to UConn, so far this season she has meshed better with this team than any other transfer in the history of UConn WBB imo. She has done so because of her talent, experience, exceptional basketball IQ and a level of confidence to take and make big shots.

Z was an exceptionally talented transfer. But there was always a problem with her meshing with that UConn team. Specifically, Z and Pheesa both were at their best in the low post on offense, and only one could fill that role at a time, forcing UConn to either sit the other or play them out of position.
 
I think it can be said that Lou absolutely has integrated into the team better than any other transfer, but that is also a product of the situation she has entered. With Paige out for the year and Caroline sidelined to start the year she was needed to immediately start. And then when Dorka was injured after two games, the need was increased.

No question in my mind that without the injuries her contributions would have been reduced and we might not be raving about her as much. This is not a criticism, just noting that if she were coming off the bench as a 'quick offense' option it would be the sort of role initially imagined by both the coaches and Lou when she first committed. And we as fans wouldn't be quite so impressed.
 
.-.
UcMiami said:
I think it can be said that Lou absolutely has integrated into the team better than any other transfer, but that is also a product of the situation she has entered. With Paige out for the year and Caroline sidelined to start the year she was needed to immediately start. And then when Dorka was injured after two games, the need was increased.

No question in my mind that without the injuries her contributions would have been reduced and we might not be raving about her as much. This is not a criticism, just noting that if she were coming off the bench as a 'quick offense' option it would be the sort of role initially imagined by both the coaches and Lou when she first committed. And we as fans wouldn't be quite so impressed.
Expand ...
You realist you. How un-Boneyard!
 
Oh yes, the topic at hand. I think Momma E has a lot of intangibles going for her.
 
bballnut90 said:
From what I've seen so far, I'd say she's the "best fit" transfer UCONN has had. She's come in and hit the ground running and seems to fit in quite well.
Stevens unquestionably was the most talented transfer, but I don't think her addition improved UCONN in 2017-18 due to roster personnel and how her addition affected players like Collier/Williams, both of whom were not as good as they were in 2016-17.
Expand ...
I have to disagree on a couple levels. I didn't assume the OP was seeking a "talent" assessment but rather an impact/value of their performance after their arrival at UCONN. A simple talent evaluation of a healthy Hunter, Westbrook, Stevens, LLS might result in that exact order. So although Evina would be ranked as more talented than LLS we would not be even debating this thread if LLS UCONN Impact ( so far) has not more than Evina's. BTW a version of this exact same thread a few years ago -Was Evina UCONN best transfer ever.
I think you are severely underestimating Azura's importance to that '17-'18 team. @diggerfoot has correctly alluded to the chemistry issues between Collier and Stevens. It is well document Collier had her worst season while playing with Stevens.
Gabby had a slight regression in performance but almost all of that was due to her hip issue and had nothing to do with Azura.
If you want to look for additional Azura value to that team consider:
1) See my previous pos. KLS was hurt in game 2 she actually missed playing in what was supposed to be her home coming game at UCLA- Azura stepped in and put up big numbers as a starter.
2) Without Azura on the roster the teams' 6th man would have been Megan Walker. Although she showed flashes as a freshman Walker would not have been good enough as a freshman to be 6th man for a FF 36 and 1 team and accomplish item 1 above. As a reminder, Megan walker was a healthy DNP Coaches decision in the FF OT loss to ND while Azura was putting up 19 points on 8 for 12 shooting.
3) The eventual National Champion that season was ND which had Jessica Shepard gifted as immediate eligible. Azura was UCONN best player in both games against ND that season. If you really want to see an example of Azura's value that season just watch the last quarter of the first ND game when UCONN trailed by double digits and Azura was front and center in that come back .
 
Next 12 said:
Correct. To me Lou really wanted to come to Uconn and the fact that Azura's quick departure showed Uconn was just a stepping stone. I will say Lou is the best because of her 3 pointers and scoring. No Knock on Dorka, But Lou fit in the second she arrived and it took Dorka a season for the same results. I would say Evina was an exceptional player, but in a different way. She was quiet and a steadying influence on the team. Lou is lights out. GO HUSKIES!!!
Expand ...
:eek:UCONN (all colleges for that matter) is a stepping stone for everyone not just Azura.
 
CocoHusky said:
I stand by that opinion and would actually like to double down. That "clouded judgement" (by a few ) is also applicable to Natalie Butler, Morgan Tuck, and Megan Walker. Because these players chose to leave UCONN with remaining eligibility the on court UCONN performances as readily diminished and they are called "disloyal" and "not real Huskies".
Expand ...
Megan Walker could have stayed two more seasons with the 5th year Covid extra year. Could she have made a difference against AZ 2 years ago and SC last year? Sure Hindsight can be many different things. She kinda got chewed up and spit out in the WNBA. She still is not on the wall. Would she have been much better suited for the WNBA last summer had she stayed?
 
I would think that Rita Williams' transfer from Mitchell College to UConn would get mentioned with the best all time transfers.
 
.-.
CocoHusky said:
I stand by that opinion and would actually like to double down. That "clouded judgement" (by a few ) is also applicable to Natalie Butler, Morgan Tuck, and Megan Walker. Because these players chose to leave UCONN with remaining eligibility the on court UCONN performances as readily diminished and they are called "disloyal" and "not real Huskies".
Expand ...
OK, but IMO I would never put Morgan Tuck in the same category.
 
I think the negativity is related to the perception that Geno was blindsided with Azure leaving early. Geno seemed to be all in on the idea that she would play for 2 years and that he was very eager to coach her in her final year to a NPOY Stewie level and probably felt that was in her best interest. Geno was pretty naive about stuff like this at the time but I think was pretty well prepared by the Megan Walker time.
 
UcMiami said:
I think it can be said that Lou absolutely has integrated into the team better than any other transfer, but that is also a product of the situation she has entered. With Paige out for the year and Caroline sidelined to start the year she was needed to immediately start. And then when Dorka was injured after two games, the need was increased.

No question in my mind that without the injuries her contributions would have been reduced and we might not be raving about her as much. This is not a criticism, just noting that if she were coming off the bench as a 'quick offense' option it would be the sort of role initially imagined by both the coaches and Lou when she first committed. And we as fans wouldn't be quite so impressed.
Expand ...
You bring up excellent points, though it’s ironic you also bring up R. Williams previously. Both Williams and LLS fit their roles perfectly. Maybe you are giving extra points for LLS exceeding what her expected role was to be? Nothing wrong with that, though there also is nothing wrong in pointing out that Williams fit her expected role perfectly for three years.
 
CocoHusky said:
I have to disagree on a couple levels. I didn't assume the OP was seeking a "talent" assessment but rather an impact/value of their performance after their arrival at UCONN. A simple talent evaluation of a healthy Hunter, Westbrook, Stevens, LLS might result in that exact order. So although Evina would be ranked as more talented than LLS we would not be even debating this thread if LLS UCONN Impact ( so far) has not more than Evina's. BTW a version of this exact same thread a few years ago -Was Evina UCONN best transfer ever.
I think you are severely underestimating Azura's importance to that '17-'18 team. @diggerfoot has correctly alluded to the chemistry issues between Collier and Stevens. It is well document Collier had her worst season while playing with Stevens.
Gabby had a slight regression in performance but almost all of that was due to her hip issue and had nothing to do with Azura.
If you want to look for additional Azura value to that team consider:
1) See my previous pos. KLS was hurt in game 2 she actually missed playing in what was supposed to be her home coming game at UCLA- Azura stepped in and put up big numbers as a starter.
2) Without Azura on the roster the teams' 6th man would have been Megan Walker. Although she showed flashes as a freshman Walker would not have been good enough as a freshman to be 6th man for a FF 36 and 1 team and accomplish item 1 above. As a reminder, Megan walker was a healthy DNP Coaches decision in the FF OT loss to ND while Azura was putting up 19 points on 8 for 12 shooting.
3) The eventual National Champion that season was ND which had Jessica Shepard gifted as immediate eligible. Azura was UCONN best player in both games against ND that season. If you really want to see an example of Azura's value that season just watch the last quarter of the first ND game when UCONN trailed by double digits and Azura was front and center in that come back .
Expand ...

I interpreted best as meaning either a player who offers the most benefit to UCONN (which I agree, it's early but LLS seems like a perfect fit for this team), but I don't think LLS is a better player than Stevens, or that her season will be better than Stevens was in 2017-18 so I wanted to clarify.

In regards to talent level, I'd definitely put Stevens ahead of those 3. Stevens at 6-6 could handle the rock, shoot the 3, and was a very good scorer and rebounder inside with great touch. She was grossly under ranked coming out of HS, to the point of someone here saw her HS highlights and created a thread questioning how she was only the #23 recruit coming out of HS (this was when she was a Duke commit at the time and had no relevance to UCONN). She was great from the get go and panned out to be a fantastic player. Ended up being a #6 WNBA draft pick, though she was as high as #2 on many mock drafts. Westbrook was a #2 recruit in a class that notoriously underachieved, both collegiately and in the pros. She had injuries but her skill never formulated into her being a player close to her HS ranking. In regards to Hunter, she had the HS accolades and good upside, but comparing her to Stevens, I think Stevens had a much more impressive skill set than Hunter. Hunter was more of a traditional physical post with good upside but was riddled with injuries.

In regards to Stevens impact on the 2017-18 team, I agree with all of what you say. Stevens was fantastic when she got on the court, and was the difference maker in both ND games. She made herself into one of UCONN's best players and she was a major contributor. Comparing the 2016-17 team to the 2017-18 team though, the chemistry was better IMO in 2016-17. I echo @diggerfoot who outlines it perfectly here,

"I totally understand the argument for Stevens based on her individual production, but her role on the roster created a decrease in production from Collier, and the two phenomena were most definitely related. Despite the impressive year we had, the whole was less than the sum of the parts that year. With the potential AA talent we had, both offensively and defensively, we might have been 2016 dominant if the whole was greater than the sum. Sidebar: I do not blame Stevens at all, nor do I fault her for leaving. Chemistry is a tricky thing, even for a program like UConn."

Adding in big time players to an already loaded team always comes with risks that can often outweigh the reward.
 
eebmg said:
I think the negativity is related to the perception that Geno was blindsided with Azure leaving early. Geno seemed to be all in on the idea that she would play for 2 years and that he was very eager to coach her in her final year to a NPOY Stewie level and probably felt that was in her best interest. Geno was pretty naive about stuff like this at the time but I think was pretty well prepared by the Megan Walker time.
Expand ...
I don't think Geno was being naive back then with Azura. Geno is ultra competitive and much like the rest of us he regrets losing a player that he would have been able to develop into a champion. That IMO is regret and not negativity. Morgan Tuck is my favorite UCONN player ever. I regret that Morgan did not come back for her last season. I regret that Freshman Paige did not have Megan Walker (would have been a returning AA and only senior) to get that team just a little further because they did not have that much further to become champions. Of course I regret Azura not coming back for another season, just about as much as I regret her not applying for immediate eligibility upon her arrival at UCONN. Of course I regret Natalie Butler not coming back for her final season because in the last game of the '17-'18 she could have given UCONN a contribution equal to Coco Nelson of ND-& that might have been the difference.
Negativity is looking back and saying these players were not important to UCONN fortunes, were at UCONN for selfish reason and somehow cheated or disappointed us by leaving.
 
.-.
EdSaid said:
Megan Walker could have stayed two more seasons with the 5th year Covid extra year. Could she have made a difference against AZ 2 years ago and SC last year? Sure Hindsight can be many different things. She kinda got chewed up and spit out in the WNBA. She still is not on the wall. Would she have been much better suited for the WNBA last summer had she stayed?
Expand ...
Walker left school in spring of 2020. Long before the Covid season even started.
 
EdSaid said:
Megan Walker could have stayed two more seasons with the 5th year Covid extra year. Could she have made a difference against AZ 2 years ago and SC last year? Sure Hindsight can be many different things. She kinda got chewed up and spit out in the WNBA. She still is not on the wall. Would she have been much better suited for the WNBA last summer had she stayed?
Expand ...
Megan Walker was not eligible for the NCAA COVID year because she declared for the WNBA before those considerations were implemented.
Megan Could have made a difference in AZ.
As far as her being spit out of the WNBA just remeber she caught COVID in her departure fro UCONN aand had to recover from that before starting her WNBA career- give her some time. Most UCONN products will find a way to contribute in the WNBA and Megan is a UCONN product don't bet against her.
 
diggerfoot said:
You bring up excellent points, though it’s ironic you also bring up R. Williams previously. Both Williams and LLS fit their roles perfectly. Maybe you are giving extra points for LLS exceeding what her expected role was to be? Nothing wrong with that, though there also is nothing wrong in pointing out that Williams fit her expected role perfectly for three years.
Expand ...
But Rita wasn't all that important her first year as she was backing up Jen Rizzotti her senior year. Stats: 30 games 344 minutes 11 min/game, 79 total points, 24 assists, 58 TO, and 33 steals.

Rita came into her own her Junior and Senior seasons
 
UcMiami said:
But Rita wasn't all that important her first year as she was backing up Jen Rizzotti her senior year. Stats: 30 games 344 minutes 11 min/game, 79 total points, 24 assists, 58 TO, and 33 steals.

Rita came into her own her Junior and Senior seasons
Expand ...
OK, I understand your point now. I did not interpret “integrated” to mean importance rather than fit. Williams filled the role she was meant to all three years, including the role of “understudy” the first year.
 
.-.
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
168,326
Messages
4,564,180
Members
10,462
Latest member
Liam Rainst


Top Bottom