Here we are a few hours before the first game of this delayed season, assuming no last minute hiccups. The early part of the season has already seen Baylor, Mississippi State, and South Carolina losing and, if early indications mean anything, Notre Dame has a ways to go before it gets back to its tradition of being a Final Four contender.
Our Huskies have lost games to national powers Louisville and Mississippi State, two games have been postponed, and one added. The picture is blank as most other teams have 3-5 games under their belts. With coronavirus continuing to rear its ugly head (thanks China), the way forward is uncertain. We should not be surprised if other games are postponed or canceled due to excessive caution on the part of athletic departments. Why UConn should have canceled games when no player or coach has tested positive, seems extreme and this is coming from a person who is eligible for the vaccine as soon as health care workers and first responders have been inoculated.
I have been looking forward to this season ever since the last one ended so abruptly in mid-March. It is been far too long a wait. The one consolation is that the Los Angeles Dodgers won their first World Series since 1978. I have been a fan of the team since the Brooklyn days of Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella, and Duke Snider.
I am most looking forward to seeing three persons play - Anna Makurat, Paige Bueckers, and Nika Muhl. Anna because she brings the complete skill set to the floor, Paige to see if her game matches the hype, and Nika because of her European experience and passing ability. To expand, Anna shows a maturity needed for a young UConn team and her shooting, passing, and court awareness will be required if the team hopes to live up the the potential that Boneyarders so devoutly desire. As for Paige Kardasian, she is the most hyped player to arrive at Storrs since Breanna Stewart. Will she provide the leadership at guard that the team so desperately needs and is she the second coming of Diana Taurasi? We should expect the ups and downs so typical of first year players and can only hope that by March she will be ready for the big dance. If reports are true, Muhl is an excellent passer and displays a toughness akin to that of Jen Rizzotti. If she is half the player Rizzotti was, UConn will be happy with the results.
The board has had long discussions about who starts and as we know who starts does not matter. The lineup on the floor at crunch time is what matters. The major questions for me revolve around Evina Westbrook. What is her health after multiple surgeries and how long will she be able to stay on the floor? Will she start and play until the first timeout? Will she be the first player off the bench? If she shows as much as she did at Tennessee, I suspect that she is one and done. As far as I am concerned, the team should always have a true point guard in the game and that means Paige and Nika dividing most of the minutes. In addition, two strong rebounders are needed, although probably not for 40 minutes in every contest, and the team has three players to fill those two slots.
We shall see.
Our Huskies have lost games to national powers Louisville and Mississippi State, two games have been postponed, and one added. The picture is blank as most other teams have 3-5 games under their belts. With coronavirus continuing to rear its ugly head (thanks China), the way forward is uncertain. We should not be surprised if other games are postponed or canceled due to excessive caution on the part of athletic departments. Why UConn should have canceled games when no player or coach has tested positive, seems extreme and this is coming from a person who is eligible for the vaccine as soon as health care workers and first responders have been inoculated.
I have been looking forward to this season ever since the last one ended so abruptly in mid-March. It is been far too long a wait. The one consolation is that the Los Angeles Dodgers won their first World Series since 1978. I have been a fan of the team since the Brooklyn days of Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella, and Duke Snider.
I am most looking forward to seeing three persons play - Anna Makurat, Paige Bueckers, and Nika Muhl. Anna because she brings the complete skill set to the floor, Paige to see if her game matches the hype, and Nika because of her European experience and passing ability. To expand, Anna shows a maturity needed for a young UConn team and her shooting, passing, and court awareness will be required if the team hopes to live up the the potential that Boneyarders so devoutly desire. As for Paige Kardasian, she is the most hyped player to arrive at Storrs since Breanna Stewart. Will she provide the leadership at guard that the team so desperately needs and is she the second coming of Diana Taurasi? We should expect the ups and downs so typical of first year players and can only hope that by March she will be ready for the big dance. If reports are true, Muhl is an excellent passer and displays a toughness akin to that of Jen Rizzotti. If she is half the player Rizzotti was, UConn will be happy with the results.
The board has had long discussions about who starts and as we know who starts does not matter. The lineup on the floor at crunch time is what matters. The major questions for me revolve around Evina Westbrook. What is her health after multiple surgeries and how long will she be able to stay on the floor? Will she start and play until the first timeout? Will she be the first player off the bench? If she shows as much as she did at Tennessee, I suspect that she is one and done. As far as I am concerned, the team should always have a true point guard in the game and that means Paige and Nika dividing most of the minutes. In addition, two strong rebounders are needed, although probably not for 40 minutes in every contest, and the team has three players to fill those two slots.
We shall see.
