Is there another Lou2 out there? | The Boneyard

Is there another Lou2 out there?

There is no doubt that the portal has changed how college coaches need to adjust their thinking on how to assemble a team. Look at our Lou and Reese for LSU, two players that have changed their team's current trajectory.
Coaches should keep a scholarship in their back pocket for the next "Lou".
 
my2cents said:
There is no doubt that the portal has changed how college coaches need to adjust their thinking on how to assemble a team. Look at our Lou and Reese for LSU, two players that have changed their team's current trajectory.
Coaches should keep a scholarship in their back pocket for the next "Lou".
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Well Geno has one for next year. But with 14 scholarship players next year, he's gonna be pretty hard pressed to use it.
 
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meyers7 said:
Well Geno has one for next year. But with 14 scholarship players next year, he's gonna be pretty hard pressed to use it.
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I said the same thing last year in late april when Lou committed. But he figured a way to use it, no doubt there!
 
Brewski said:
I said the same thing last year in late april when Lou committed. But he figured a way to use it, no doubt there!
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But we only had 10 scholarship players before Senechal came on board. We haven't had 14, in about 14 years.

(I understand we won't actually have 14 players available next year. Injuries and other things (that can't be mentioned) happen to preclude stuff like that.)
 
meyers7 said:
But we only had 10 scholarship players before Senechal came on board. We haven't had 14, in about 14 years.

(I understand we won't actually have 14 players available next year. Injuries and other things (that can't be mentioned) happen to preclude stuff like that.)
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The issue was not total scholarship players but the fact that at the time we had 4 pretty good guards in Azzi, Paige, Caroline, and Nika. I was wondering where Lou's minutes were gonna come from. Then again I didn't know just how decimated our guard position was gonna get!
 
Brewski said:
The issue was not total scholarship players but the fact that at the time we had 4 pretty good guards in Azzi, Paige, Caroline, and Nika. I was wondering where Lou's minutes were gonna come from. Then again I didn't know just how decimated our guard position was gonna get!
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Well that's exactly what I am talking about in regards to getting another Senechal for next year.
 
And just like Senechal came out of the blue, not heralded or widely known, there could be other really talented and great shooting guards for non-powerhouse programs that might be available and interested in improving their game and draft potential (and help win a national championship)
 
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Brewski said:
The issue was not total scholarship players but the fact that at the time we had 4 pretty good guards in Azzi, Paige, Caroline, and Nika. I was wondering where Lou's minutes were gonna come from. Then again I didn't know just how decimated our guard position was gonna get!
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I was only wondering how many minutes Lou would get, not if she would get minutes. Even if you figured she was #5 in a 5 guard rotation that would likely be a few minutes a game, even if all of the other 4 were healthy. Getting a 5th guard was an absolute necessity in the portal last summer, before we knew about Paige.

After that bad news, resorting to acquiring another one in the unusual venue of whatever we can get last second in the foreign market was also a necessity. Remember in the prior year we had 6 not 5 very talented guards and that was not enough because we had some games where we had no backup guards, because three were injured and Aaliyah had to play on the wing.

If anything is to be learned here, it is that the 5th guard probably gets minimal minutes if everyone is healthy, significant minutes if one of the other 4 is out, and becomes a starter playing heavy minutes if two other guards are out. A sixth ranked guard may not get minutes if the others are healthy, but is very likely to have some significance for part of the season, because some guards missing a few games is more the norm than the exception.

I also want to point out that while this thread is appreciating how significant picking up Lou was in the portal, the same can obviously be said for Dorka who has been a critical piece for the last two years.
 
Lou was not viewed as a key component of the team when signed. Her prospect for significant minutes was limited. She was expected to be behind Caroline in the parade for minutes. Then in summer workouts she impressed Geno and the coaches as a scorer. No one considered the opportunity for Lou that occurred. And most likely such an opportunity will not ever happen again. The possibility that another Lou arises is minimal. The UConn way is to recruit good kids and develop them. that's the way it will stay for the fore seeable future.
 
oldhuskie said:
I was only wondering how many minutes Lou would get, not if she would get minutes. Even if you figured she was #5 in a 5 guard rotation that would likely be a few minutes a game, even if all of the other 4 were healthy. Getting a 5th guard was an absolute necessity in the portal last summer, before we knew about Paige.

After that bad news, resorting to acquiring another one in the unusual venue of whatever we can get last second in the foreign market was also a necessity. Remember in the prior year we had 6 not 5 very talented guards and that was not enough because we had some games where we had no backup guards, because three were injured and Aaliyah had to play on the wing.

If anything is to be learned here, it is that the 5th guard probably gets minimal minutes if everyone is healthy, significant minutes if one of the other 4 is out, and becomes a starter playing heavy minutes if two other guards are out. A sixth ranked guard may not get minutes if the others are healthy, but is very likely to have some significance for part of the season, because some guards missing a few games is more the norm than the exception.

I also want to point out that while this thread is appreciating how significant picking up Lou was in the portal, the same can obviously be said for Dorka who has been a critical piece for the last two years.
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Good post @oldhuskie. After our experience this year with injuries, I think you cannot have too many guards on the team. I am so worried about injuries that I say fill up every scholarship slot you have and worry about how they are used later.

I would also point out that Geno said that after 5 days of seeing Lou practice at the beginning of the year, some current starter was going to lose their job. So getting Lou was not just the right thing to do, it was a fantastic thing to do.

I second what you said about Dorka. And I am so glad she decided to come back for her second UConn season! Her decision benefits all involved.
 
HuskyNan said:
Mdoggie doesn’t want to talk about Paige anymore so I guess he’d rather have another Lou
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Or AP dunking or if Jana will play this season or etc etc etc. So I came up with my own question. Hope I can get page after page lol.
 
As phenomenal as Lou has been, we should if healthy be able to more than cover that position. I know, “if healthy”, there’s the rub.

I am more concerned about replacing Dorka. Ice appears to be the answer. Possibly Jana as well, and maybe Amari can develop further and help there. Ayanna might also be in the mix.

But not much tape to go on.

That’s why I think we might see an experienced big coming through the portal on a one year basis. All depends on what is out there and how comfortable Geno feels with what he has. He will do what it takes for Paige to go out a winner.

A big reason why getting Jana on campus was so important.
 
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Huskee11 said:
As phenomenal as Lou has been, we should if healthy be able to more than cover that position. I know, “if healthy”, there’s the rub.

I am more concerned about replacing Dorka. Ice appears to be the answer. Possibly Jana as well, and maybe Amari can develop further and help there. Ayanna might also be in the mix.

But not much tape to go on.

That’s why I think we might see an experienced big coming through the portal on a one year basis. All depends on what is out there and how comfortable Geno feels with what he has. He will do what it takes for Paige to go out a winner.

A big reason why getting Jana on campus was so important.
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He will do what it takes for UConn!
 
JJTB said:
For me next year, hopefully, it’s CD.
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Couldn’t agree more.

Coming into the season I was so confident in our backcourt of Paige and Azzi. I predicted a big jump for Ducharme on the wing, and knew Edwards and Dorka would be very solid inside. I couldn’t have predicted how stellar Lou would be. It’s so frustrating as a fan to think of what it would’ve looked like to see Paige, Azzi, and Lou playing together. That’s not just 3 capable perimeter shooters, but three elite shooters. Would have been a sight to behold. Are we sure there isn’t some loophole that could give her a 6th year of eligibility?
 
Conndog said:
And just like Senechal came out of the blue, not heralded or widely known, there could be other really talented and great shooting guards for non-powerhouse programs that might be available and interested in improving their game and draft potential (and help win a national championship)
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her immediate success as a UConn starter certainly will encourage other talented players in the portal to consider the program although if all goes well it will be difficult to win a starting job or even a top-eight spot next season
 
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While we wouldn't have needed Lou so desperately without all the injuries, let's not forget that Geno said she had played her way into the starting lineup within a week of practice (before all the injuries). So if we can get another Lou next year who can earn a starting spot, that would still be a great pickup for us.
 
Mdoggie said:
Or AP dunking or if Jana will play this season or etc etc etc. So I came up with my own question. Hope I can get page after page lol.
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I got what you meant. Wasn't difficult to understand at all.
 
hoopsdiva said:
While we wouldn't have needed Lou so desperately without all the injuries, let's not forget that Geno said she had played her way into the starting lineup within a week of practice (before all the injuries). So if we can get another Lou next year who can earn a starting spot, that would still be a great pickup for us.
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That's not quite a true statement. Lou definitely played her way into the starting lineup, but Caroline has been "injured" ever since her hip surgery and then her injuries began to multiply. Regardless, without Lou we would be in a world of hurt (as the saying goes).
 
Conndog said:
And just like Senechal came out of the blue, not heralded or widely known, there could be other really talented and great shooting guards for non-powerhouse programs that might be available and interested in improving their game and draft potential (and help win a national championship)
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I see where you are now referring to Lou as Senechal. Have I missed where she has asked that her name be changed from Lopez-Senechal?
 
Mdoggie said:
Can’t count on PB being healthy
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I’m thinking we can count on her as much as anyone else, with the possible exception of Caroline. I’ve seen no evidence that Paige’s injuries were anything more than bad luck! I single Caroline out because of the scary nature of concussions. I pray, of course, that she will play injury free for the rest of her (hopefully long) career.
 
Mdoggie said:
Might she be watching Lou2 success and thinking about UConn? Things that make you go hmmmm?
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UConn is in a much different position than this time last year. If Aubrey decides to stay, that’ll mean we only lose Dorka and Lou, while bringing in 4 Frosh, Ice and a kid by the name of Paige Bueckers.

The Center position is really the only position I can see that’d be open for a Grad-Transfer to come in and make an immediate impact. With Dorka leaving, that’s the only position with uncertainty in my opinion.
 
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