Katie Lou makes them....

[Jronp]

Unbeatable!!! If she plays anywhere close to the way she played against Temple... It's OVER! She spreads the floor so Stewie can roam more and her size makes them soooo much better. I believed they would win it all anyway. But if she comes around...I KNOW they will!

 

[Zorro]

Well, yes. And then there's Natalie....

 

[EricLA]

Well, yes. And then there's Natalie....

And Napheesa and Saniya and Gabby...

My point is that UCONN has 4 guaranteed starters every game right now - Moriah, Kia, Morgan and Stewie. It seems that after trying out Gabby and Napheesa, Geno may have settled on KLS as the 5th starter. FWIW, I tend to agree with his decision (not that he cares what I think). But I'm agreeing because to me, those are the 5 best scorers on the team and what KLS gives that Gabby does not is ball handling, passing, and shooting. Pretty much the same reason I think KLS over Napheesa at this point.

So Geno can put his most potent scoring team on the court to start the game. Then you have the quartet of super subs - Saniya, Napheesa, Gabby and Natalie. Each one is so very different and brings something unique to the table, but each is also super capable of scoring double digits, just not as prolifically as the starters.

KLS does not need to score 20+ PPG. What she does need to do is average 10 PPG the rest of the season, dish out 3+ assists per game, grab 4+ boards per game, and play solid defense to the best of her athletic ability. She's a super smart kid and Geno has helped her improve her game in leaps and bounds in just have a season. I'm ecstatic to see how she progresses.

When you have starting lineup like we do and a quartet of super talented subs (wish I could count Courtney in that quartet), UCONN is not only a threat to score from every position, but they play tenacious D, and have depth to spell the starters at any time during a game, even if the starters are struggling... Recipe for success if I ever saw one...

 

[UcMiami]

And Napheesa and Saniya and Gabby...

My point is that UCONN has 4 guaranteed starters every game right now - Moriah, Kia, Morgan and Stewie. It seems that after trying out Gabby and Napheesa, Geno may have settled on KLS as the 5th starter. FWIW, I tend to agree with his decision (not that he cares what I think). But I'm agreeing because to me, those are the 5 best scorers on the team and what KLS gives that Gabby does not is ball handling, passing, and shooting. Pretty much the same reason I think KLS over Napheesa at this point.

So Geno can put his most potent scoring team on the court to start the game. Then you have the quartet of super subs - Saniya, Napheesa, Gabby and Natalie. Each one is so very different and brings something unique to the table, but each is also super capable of scoring double digits, just not as prolifically as the starters.

KLS does not need to score 20+ PPG. What she does need to do is average 10 PPG the rest of the season, dish out 3+ assists per game, grab 4+ boards per game, and play solid defense to the best of her athletic ability. She's a super smart kid and Geno has helped her improve her game in leaps and bounds in just have a season. I'm ecstatic to see how she progresses.

When you have starting lineup like we do and a quartet of super talented subs (wish I could count Courtney in that quartet), UCONN is not only a threat to score from every position, but they play tenacious D, and have depth to spell the starters at any time during a game, even if the starters are struggling... Recipe for success if I ever saw one...

Agree - the team with Lou in the line-up is a close as it can come to what it was last year with KML starting. The team with Butler starting would be as close as it could get to what it looked like two years ago with Stef in the starting line-up, but with Butler getting the slow start to the year because of injury, I just don't see that happening this year (though I thought it was a strong possibility over the summer.)

By the way - that assist Natalie got on the pass to Napheesa was straight out of the Stef handbook. A really nice sharp pass to a cutting player.

 

[Jronp]

I agree with everyone. The big difference with KLS is that she can do things the other can't. She has complete versatility.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

And Napheesa and Saniya and Gabby...

My point is that UCONN has 4 guaranteed starters every game right now - Moriah, Kia, Morgan and Stewie. It seems that after trying out Gabby and Napheesa, Geno may have settled on KLS as the 5th starter. FWIW, I tend to agree with his decision (not that he cares what I think). But I'm agreeing because to me, those are the 5 best scorers on the team and what KLS gives that Gabby does not is ball handling, passing, and shooting. Pretty much the same reason I think KLS over Napheesa at this point.

So Geno can put his most potent scoring team on the court to start the game. Then you have the quartet of super subs - Saniya, Napheesa, Gabby and Natalie. Each one is so very different and brings something unique to the table, but each is also super capable of scoring double digits, just not as prolifically as the starters.

KLS does not need to score 20+ PPG. What she does need to do is average 10 PPG the rest of the season, dish out 3+ assists per game, grab 4+ boards per game, and play solid defense to the best of her athletic ability. She's a super smart kid and Geno has helped her improve her game in leaps and bounds in just have a season. I'm ecstatic to see how she progresses.

When you have starting lineup like we do and a quartet of super talented subs (wish I could count Courtney in that quartet), UCONN is not only a threat to score from every position, but they play tenacious D, and have depth to spell the starters at any time during a game, even if the starters are struggling... Recipe for success if I ever saw one...

I was driving home this morning from an acupuncture session thinking much the same thing about the incredible options sitting on the bench at the start of each game and agree wholeheartedly with what this augers for the balance of the season and beyond. One small demurrer: if KLS plays/moves the way she is now as her modus operandi there is no way that translates, henceforth, into 10 points a game. 14 perhaps. Sounds high, I know. But she has talent and that laid back California thing (together with a desire to be great) - so when she's comfy all sorts of good stuff comes out.

 

[bags27]

Hi! First post after long time lurking. Thanks so much for this wonderful site and discussion.

She does fill the KML role in some ways, but I agree with Jronp about her complete versatility. To me, Lou has a Magic Johnson like presence--essentially an oversized point guard with amazing court vision and instincts (though she's stronger from 3 and Majic was stronger inside). But while she does invite contact on drives to the hoop, if you look at pictures of her under the boards, she's clearly not yet comfortable knocking bodies rebounding (maybe her high school coaches didn't want to risk her fouling?). Against a small Temple team, it was the perfect time to give Lou a start. But against a big inside team like USC, it will be interesting to see whether she gets less playing time with Gabby and/or Napheesa banging the boards or whether Lou's outside shooting is considered more important to draw their bigs out....or whether for that game they use them all more and Kia less....I guess it depends on the flow of the game....

 

[alexrgct]

starting with 2012, we have a rotation of Mo, Stewie, Morgan, Saniya, Ekmark, Nurse, Butler, Gabby, Napheesa, and Katie Lou Conn. That's a rotation of 10 legit, contributing players, who at minimum give Geno minutes and at maximum highlight a game. UConn simply doesn't have 10 in a rotation; six is more normal. This is something to be giddy about, and watching KLS play every game is a joy. And just imagine what the next three and a half seasons will be like...

 

[ThisJustIn]

There are a LOT of pieces - and a LOT of folks are getting quality minutes... huge growth for all involved. It'll reap benefits next year...And any rest Morgan, Stewie and MoJeff can get is the cherry on top...

 

[Roundball fan]

Just 1 comment on Natalie, great young player with lots of potential but against SC she won't play much, sorry. Geno is going to run, run, run and RUN some more. SC's length won't matter because they will all be bending over sucking Oxygen. Big games for Mo, Stewie and Morgan.

 

[easttexastrash]

I thought UCONN was already pretty unbeatable. This makes UCONN unbeatabler.

 

[Icebear]

And Napheesa and Saniya and Gabby...

My point is that UCONN has 4 guaranteed starters every game right now - Moriah, Kia, Morgan and Stewie. It seems that after trying out Gabby and Napheesa, Geno may have settled on KLS as the 5th starter. FWIW, I tend to agree with his decision (not that he cares what I think). But I'm agreeing because to me, those are the 5 best scorers on the team and what KLS gives that Gabby does not is ball handling, passing, and shooting. Pretty much the same reason I think KLS over Napheesa at this point.

You might need to reconsider that Morgan thing.

 

[Kaizen]

After watching Tenn vs. ND game, I was thinking what a big difference between KLS and Mercedes Russell. Both are the top in their class, but I believe KLS will have much better future than Russell.
If Russell goes to UConn could she be as good as KLS?

 

[CocoHusky]

Just 1 comment on Natalie, great young player with lots of potential but against SC she won't play much, sorry. Geno is going to run, run, run and RUN some more. SC's length won't matter because they will all be bending over sucking Oxygen. Big games for Mo, Stewie and Morgan.

Last year they didn't "run & run" against SC and I believe that will be a mistake this year. Post isolation on offense and ball denial of Mitchell is the plan than won last year and they should stick with that this year.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Last year they didn't "run & run" against SC and I believe that will be a mistake this year. Post isolation on offense and ball denial of Mitchell is the plan than won last year and they should stick with that this year.

Gonna be harder to do if Tuck doesn't play. She was terrific in that game.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

Gonna be harder to do if Tuck doesn't play. She was terrific in that game.

I assume that the whole point of resting her now is to ensure that she WILL play against South Carolina.

 

[CocoHusky]

Gonna be harder to do if Tuck doesn't play. She was terrific in that game.

I agree. KML & Stewie also had some quality post up in that game. With or without Tuck still think running would be a losing strategy for UCONN.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Last year they didn't "run & run" against SC and I believe that will be a mistake this year. Post isolation on offense and ball denial of Mitchell is the plan than won last year and they should stick with that this year.

But you gotta admit Coco that the Huskies had the GameCocks huffing and puffing too.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

I assume that the whole point of resting her now is to ensure that she WILL play against South Carolina.

Perhaps, but it doesn't sound like a given that she will be back at that point. Reports are at least two weeks and then she'll be re-evaluated.

 

[Dougie]

I thought UCONN was already pretty unbeatable. This makes UCONN unbeatabler.

I think you mean more unbeatabler.

 

[Baroloboy]

Perhaps, but it doesn't sound like a given that she will be back at that point. Reports are at least two weeks and then she'll be re-evaluated.

Agree. We need to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. That means Gabby needs to really raise her game a notch and Pheesa, as first off the bench, needs to continue to play aggressively but cut down on the mistakes. Both will get a lot of minutes but Bulter will sit until clean up time since Geno will want the starting 5 plus Pheesa to get a lot of minutes together to gel without Tuck

 

[donalddoowop]

Gabby did not play much in last year's game. One reason is that she is a little short to be effective against the SC frontline.

 

[Sonny44]

Gabby did not play much in last year's game. One reason is that she is a little short to be effective against the SC frontline.

No way, she jumps over most bigs.

 

[Dillon77]

After watching Tenn vs. ND game, I was thinking what a big difference between KLS and Mercedes Russell. Both are the top in their class, but I believe KLS will have much better future than Russell.
If Russell goes to UConn could she be as good as KLS?

I watched the UConn-Temple and the ND-Tenn games and was thinking of both KLS and Mercedes Russell, although not in the same sentence. It's interesting watching KLS grow incrementally. Always knew about the long-range game but have been impressed recently with her running the court and decision making in transition, as well. As someone else mentioned, she is demonstrating versatility. While watching Russell, I was struck on how she looked lost on the court, whether it was down low or slightly away from the hoop...everything from her footwork to her angling looked off. I'm not sure what the ceiling is there, but she could benefit from some serious fundamental, post-coaching, the type that Marisa Moseley or Carol Owens at ND would offer.

 

[EricLA]

I watched the UConn-Temple and the ND-Tenn games and was thinking of both KLS and Mercedes Russell, although not in the same sentence. It's interesting watching KLS grow incrementally. Always knew about the long-range game but have been impressed recently with her running the court and decision making in transition, as well. As someone else mentioned, she is demonstrating versatility. While watching Russell, I was struck on how she looked lost on the court, whether it was down low or slightly away from the hoop...everything from her footwork to her angling looked off. I'm not sure what the ceiling is there, but she could benefit from some serious fundamental, post-coaching, the type that Marisa Moseley or Carol Owens at ND would offer.

Totally agree. Just look at some of the other post players who have excelled at other schools - off the top of my head - Brionna Jones at Maryland immediately comes to mind. On the other side, freshmen Shephard and Anigwe are already in the top 20 for scoring for all players so it will be interesting to see how that progresses as their careers move forward...