Looking at this season

[Tonyc]

We are in perfect position this season in many ways. First in recruiting. There are positions that will open up based on upcoming graduation. This will attract top recruits. Geno has had many top recruits wanting to come to UConn however some dont fit in and some go elsewhere for many reasons. Thats ok. Geno is looking for a special type player not just any top player. Many coaches are dying to get top players, Geno attracts them.

We have a very strong nucleus this year and 3 AAs in Lou Pheesa and CD. Thats alot of fire power and more importantly experience. We lacked a big in the middle and now we have her in ONO. She needs experience and she will get it this year. This UConn machine runs on defense and this year will be no different. We have speed at the guard positions, we have height on the wings we have great outside shooters to open things up and they can dribble penetrate. Our 3 AAs will lead this team and make it easier for the rest of the team to relax and develop during the season . Our 3 AA's can take a game over. Think about this. We have how many top 5 players and a 4 number 1 players and we have ONO who was ranked number 1 out of HS until she got hurt. Very impressive. So when I hear this years team may not be as good as previous teams remember we have more number 1 HS players then any other team in WCBB. What some of our underclassmen lack is experience and they will get it this season. I expect to see Megan Walker and a few others blossom this season. By the end of the season we will be really really good because we are all ready really good.

ND and Baylor look like our closest competition. They have experienced bigs. ND beat UConn last season because UConn was in foul trouble. ND usually beats UConn because of the foul differential. This season ND has some of their top players coming back from injuries. That makes they better...if those players can stay healthy and we still dont know how much playtime they can handle coming back from injuries especially later in the season.

Baylor lost alot but they still have Brown and Cox. Big strong and powerful. It will be interesting to see how defenses handle them. Every great team needs good guards and we will have to see how Baylor develops.

Geno has spacing this season. Meaning he has players coming in and players graduating. This years freshman class and next years class that havent verballed yet, imo is a positive because like the past few seasons they make our fans sweat it out, are in perfect position to come in and take over. I like Boston and DeBarry coming up. I like the guards because Crystal will be graduating after next season opening up a guard position.

We are ranked 3rd in the preseason polls. That takes alot of pressure off the underclassman trying to live up to a number 1 ranking. Having to face UConn still sits in the back of opposing teams minds. I really like our chances alot this season. I think we are better then advertised. I think we will see that especially later in the season as we develop. When the season is over the only thing that matters is another banner hanging from the rafters.

 

[bob neal]

Yea !!! I like this report.

 

[Jim R]

Always enjoy a bit of Tonyc prior to the seaason! "I think we are better then advertised." Couldn't agree more. Believe Williams will live up to her billing, and, come the New Year, with a bit of Geno's Tina treatment, ONO will follow suit

 

[Golden Husky]

High on optimism, for sure, but I believe others, with far more knowledge of the game than I possess, may challenge a number of your assumptions, Tony. CD an All-American? She hasn't been named All-American Conference yet, has she? ONO a "big in the middle?" I'm not so sure. I think most Boneyarders see her more as a 4.

That said, it's always better to see the wine glass as half full so I appreciate your boundless and infectious hopefulness.

 

[Go/huskies]

Lou will be the team leader, I think she can be NPOY

 

[eebmg]

Lou will be the team leader, I think she can be NPOY

Nice editing. Added CW and ONO decision clips.

 

[Charliebball]

I love TonyC's optimism but as you could guess for me this team is one big question mark.....................they could be great or just OK.................so much depends on the freshmen and MW's improvement and of course the risk of injury to one or more of the big three................very little room for error if they want to make it back to the final four.........

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

two thoughts come to mind from Tonyc's report:
a. UCONN gets all the best players... even though there is only 1 #1, AND more top 10 or 20 or what ever... we got more #1s than anyone else!!! So, I can hear those complaints!!!
b. I can't wait for the season to start!

and an extra... to ward off any evil spirits this close to Halloween... "We're Doomed!"

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Notre Dame should be the overwhelming favorite for the title. They have the potential to be a powerhouse.

Mississippi State will still be a tremendous defensive team and likely the top rebounding team in the nation.

Louisville will be a terrific defensive team that's well coached and has Asia Durr.

Baylor will have the twin towers and a strong supporting cast whose season may hinge on finding playmakers out of their freshmen class.

UConn lost a ton---let's not kid ourselves. Three top-10 WNBA picks--one of the best players in the nation in 2016-2017 and two other all-american candidates. There are issues with size, depth, defense, and shooting. UConn will be an underdog in the overall picture sense.

 

[oldude]

Notre Dame should be the overwhelming favorite for the title. They have the potential to be a powerhouse.

Mississippi State will still be a tremendous defensive team and likely the top rebounding team in the nation.

Louisville will be a terrific defensive team that's well coached and has Asia Durr.

Baylor will have the twin towers and a strong supporting cast whose season may hinge on finding playmakers out of their freshmen class.

UConn lost a ton---let's not kid ourselves. Three top-10 WNBA picks--one the best player in the nation in 2016-2017 and two other all-american candidates. There are issues with size, depth, defense, and shooting. UConn will be an underdog in the overall picture sense.

It sounds to me like the Huskies have the Irish, the Bulldogs, the Cardinals and the Lady Bears right where we want them....

 

[Shorty Dee]

As a UConn fan of 30+ years. I have joy down in my soul. I am really looking forward to the season. I believe they will be better than advertised. I also believe teams will be in for a rude awakening. The team has put in the work during the off season. #UConnnumber1fan!!

 

[Jim R]

High on optimism, for sure, but I believe others, with far more knowledge of the game than I possess, may challenge a number of your assumptions, Tony. CD an All-American? She hasn't been named All-American Conference yet, has she? ONO a "big in the middle?" I'm not so sure. I think most Boneyarders see her more as a 4.

That said, it's always better to see the wine glass as half full so I appreciate your boundless and infectious hopefulness.

Would agree with ONO as a 4, but, if she's on the floor with this lineup, its her "inside presence" we'll be counting on. Her board work, shot blocking, and, scoring inside the paint, will be a key to this year's success. But, we'll see how the year unfolds.

 

[Cornell Lt]

As a long time observer of the program, I'm really excited to watch this year's team. They are very top heavy with talent, so the strength of the season will be determined by players 4-12 on the roster. In order for this to be a national championship contender, the staff will have to develop those players so they can be impact players. I would expect 2-3 losses in non conference games. If they come through the non conference with 2 or fewer losses than I would put them in the group of teams considered favorites for the national championship

 

[Bama fan]

two thoughts come to mind from Tonyc's report:
a. UCONN gets all the best players... even though there is only 1 #1, AND more top 10 or 20 or what ever... we got more #1s than anyone else!!! So, I can hear those complaints!!!
b. I can't wait for the season to start!

and an extra... to ward off any evil spirits this close to Halloween... "We're Doomed!"

 

[Topsail]

I m excited to get the the season underway but I feel we will have a hard time stopping good bigs from scoring inside due to lack of size. Gabby played like a big but we no longer have her. We will just have to outscore the opponents like the Patriots do.

 

[paisan]

It is going to be a fascinating season... if your success depends upon 3 players out scoring the opponents then all your foes have todo is stop one..

 

[Topsail]

Figuring walker to be a big contributor from the preseason reports and hoping Williams is that rare UConn Freshman that makes a big contribution. This all depends on no injuries to them too.

 

[Topsail]

Defense will be key in getting turnovers before the other team gets set up in their offense. I specifically mean those teams with bigs that have a good inside game

 

[Huskee11]

The Regionals are in Albany again this year, and the NCAA will want to fill those seats. Accordingly, UConn would really have to mess up to not get the Number One seed there. They will run the table in the AAC again and even if they lose 2 or 3 out of conference games, which is entirely possible (ND, Baylor and Louisville all on the road), they should get the top seed in Albany and fill the arena.

At that point, UConn`s fortunes will depend upon a lot of things that are unknowable at the current time, but are interesting to speculate about.

We have seen a trend in the NBA where teams go small, often with great success. Look no further than Golden State, with Curry, Thompson, Green, Durant, and Iguodala. UConn can worry about matching up with bigger teams, but let`s make other teams worry about matching up with a lineup of CD, CW, Lou, Napheesa, and Megan. That lineup should be able to spread the floor like no one else in WCBB. Now that sounds like fun!

 

[Bama fan]

It is going to be a fascinating season... if your success depends upon 3 players out scoring the opponents then all your foes have todo is stop one..

My guess is that UConn will get some scoring from players other than the top three. I do not know what percentage of teams get the vast percentage of their scoring from the top three scorers. I would bet that it is common to get far more than 60 % from a team's top three. Some statistically minded Boneyarders might be able to offer some background from past history. And of course, if you double up a player, the others will be more likely to score above their average. I have hope, and even faith that we will get points when we need them. Perhaps not always, but frequently. enough to carry us to Final Four.

 

[bbballfan23]

Do we have a ton of size? No but we do have a lot of length. When you mention ND, Louisville, Baylor. Do you take Pheesa, Crystal Dangerfield & Lou in their 3 individual matchups? I would say absolutely!

ND...
Mabrey vs Crystal Dangerfield
Arike vs CW
Young vs Lou
Shepard vs Pheesa
Turner vs Walker

You can switch Walker & Pheesa depending on what u think the matchup will be but Pheesa wins both of those matchups.

Baylor has Cox & Brown. Brown can’t stay with Pheesa what so ever so I believe that matchup is her and Cox. Advantage Pheesa. But Kelani would win her matchup as we would be forced to double. Our 3 guards are heavy favorites so that’s 4/5 matchups.

Louisville, you only give Durr the nod. So again, 4/5.

Call me crazy but I like where how our team matches up. Lou, Pheesa & Crystal Dangerfield are as a good a combo as you will find. We just need either Megan or CW to really step up. I think both will have their games and take turns.

Add grittyness & hustle off the bench from ONO, Touly, Kyla, Coombs, Lexi etc. our team is well equipped for #12.

 

[donalddoowop]

two thoughts come to mind from Tonyc's report:
a. UCONN gets all the best players... even though there is only 1 #1, AND more top 10 or 20 or what ever... we got more #1s than anyone else!!! So, I can hear those complaints!!!
b. I can't wait for the season to start!

and an extra... to ward off any evil spirits this close to Halloween... "We're Doomed!"

I can list a lot of players who could be considered in the "best" class who don't play for UConn. UConn does not get all the best players. Texas and Baylor get their share, along with some other teams.

 

[BobbyJ]

Do we have a ton of size? No but we do have a lot of length. When you mention ND, Louisville, Baylor. Do you take Pheesa, Crystal Dangerfield & Lou in their 3 individual matchups? I would say absolutely!

ND...
Mabrey vs Crystal Dangerfield
Arike vs CW
Young vs Lou
Shepard vs Pheesa
Turner vs Walker

You can switch Walker & Pheesa depending on what u think the matchup will be but Pheesa wins both of those matchups.

Baylor has Cox & Brown. Brown can’t stay with Pheesa what so ever so I believe that matchup is her and Cox. Advantage Pheesa. But Kelani would win her matchup as we would be forced to double. Our 3 guards are heavy favorites so that’s 4/5 matchups.

Louisville, you only give Durr the nod. So again, 4/5.

Call me crazy but I like where how our team matches up. Lou, Pheesa & Crystal Dangerfield are as a good a combo as you will find. We just need either Megan or CW to really step up. I think both will have their games and take turns.

Add grittyness & hustle off the bench from ONO, Touly, Kyla, Coombs, Lexi etc. our team is well equipped for #12.

IMO, all these matchups mean nothing when both teams prefer to push a transition game. There’s so many on the fly adjustments going on that these individual matchups rarely occur enough to swing the game either way. And UConn will have to play plenty of zone to protect that soft interior from foul trouble.

 

[bbballfan23]

IMO, all these matchups mean nothing when both teams prefer to push a transition game. There’s so many on the fly adjustments going on that these individual matchups rarely occur enough to swing the game either way. And UConn will have to play plenty of zone to protect that soft interior from foul trouble.

If it becomes a transition game then that clearly favors UConn. If that’s the case, we definitely don’t need to worry about matchups.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I've said it before and will repeat it here again, even though ND has the most talent I don't think they'll win the NC!
Their championship team had 6 players that knew they had to play over 90% of the game and each knew their jobs.
Now you throw in 5 injured players back in the mix and incoming freshmen and there isn't enough BB's to go around!
Last season was a perfect storm! Everything broke right at the end of the season for ND to finish 1st!
Everybody's jobs and assignments have changed! In the post-season tournaments they won't have "the LUCK OF THE IRISH" this go round!

 

[Sluconn Husky]

A transition game needs defense and rebounds to trigger it. It's yet to be seen how good UConn will be at either.

 

[Tonyc]

From what Ive been told ND will play 7. Short and sweet.

 

[Dillon77]

IMO, all these matchups mean nothing when both teams prefer to push a transition game. There’s so many on the fly adjustments going on that these individual matchups rarely occur enough to swing the game either way. And UConn will have to play plenty of zone to protect that soft interior from foul trouble.

If it becomes a transition game then that clearly favors UConn. If that’s the case, we definitely don’t need to worry about matchups.

Regarding transitions, I completely agree with you: both ND and UConn like nothing more than to get out on the run and force the issue, either for hard drives to the basket or kick-outs for open 3's. I would imagine fans of the respective teams each think their teams do it better, but there's a lot to like about both teams. One element not to discount about the Irish on the break: First, ND group rebounds pretty well and they've got Turner back, who is superb at defense and rebounding. Plus, Turner, who often will be igniting the break with a rebound and outlet pass, runs the floor extremely well and will hustle down to join the break. And Jess Shepard is surprisingly nimble in the open court.

Zone. Now that would be a reversal! Last year, after Mik Vaughn and Lili Thompson went down with the last of the ACL injuries, ND went almost exclusively to some kind of zone (usually a 2-3). In the first half, that was a kind of "sit back" zone so the team wouldn't get in foul trouble. It only "came to life" in the 3rd quarter. But still ND's mission was to outscore the opponent. Coach MM wants to get back to man-to-man, play some zone and even throw in some zone, perhaps using the four freshmen and two sophomores coming off the bench.

I've said it before and will repeat it here again, even though ND has the most talent I don't think they'll win the NC!
Their championship team had 6 players that knew they had to play over 90% of the game and each knew their jobs.
Now you throw in 5 injured players back in the mix and incoming freshmen and there isn't enough BB's to go around!
Last season was a perfect storm! Everything broke right at the end of the season for ND to finish 1st!
Everybody's jobs and assignments have changed! In the post-season tournaments they won't have "the LUCK OF THE IRISH" this go round!

A lot of fans on numerous boards have brought the chemistry issue, both as a blessing last year and a challenge this year. It's very legitimate in some respects, particularly in the early part of the season. Some thoughts, specific to your points:

- Of the four injured players, only two come back to the squad, Bri Turner and Mik Vaughn. And they both play center. And make no mistake, Turner is the starter and Vaughn the sub. A talented one, but a sub nonetheless. No worries about roles there.
- The interesting element is how Shepard and Turner interact on the court together. Will Shep go to the high post exclusively to demonstrate her mid-range jumper, passing ability and drives to the hoop? Or will they mix it up? Turner has allegedly been working on a mid-range jumper, so we'll see.
- Outside of that, you still have four starters returning and Turner is hardly an outsider, so I don't imagine there will be too much trouble there.
- As for the sophs (Vaughn, Danielle Patterson) and frosh (Jordan Nixon, Abby Prohaska, Katlyn Gilbert, Danielle Cosgrove), their time will be earned. I'm hopeful they'll all get chances to try to break into the rotation, but...
- By the time the playoffs arrive, I be there will be very well-established rotation that is not all that large. (Betting Vaughn and Nixon are two of those in what will probably be 7 or 8 players.)

Fully expect that Geno will have a similar rotation by the time the NCAAs start. It's kind of what these coaches do....

Can't wait!

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

I can list a lot of players who could be considered in the "best" class who don't play for UConn. UConn does not get all the best players. Texas and Baylor get their share, along with some other teams.

OMG... I know, I know, I know... which is why I said there are lots of players we dont get ranked in top 10, 20, 30, etc.... but. As Tonyc said, we have more #1s than anyone else; likely 3 of them in our starting line up... along with a potential AA at Point Guard and another AA at The 4 or where ever Pheess plays...thus the arguments from others that UCONN gets all the best players.... I have argued the point many times in response to others on ESPN comment pages and other sites... we may get more #1s... but there are so many more top players out there we dont get. Maybe u didn't detect my sarcasm???

 

[BroadwayVa]

High on optimism, for sure, but I believe others, with far more knowledge of the game than I possess, may challenge a number of your assumptions, Tony. CD an All-American? She hasn't been named All-American Conference yet, has she? ONO a "big in the middle?" I'm not so sure. I think most Boneyarders see her more as a 4.

That said, it's always better to see the wine glass as half full so I appreciate your boundless and infectious hopefulness.

That posting by TonyC was wonderfully optimistic as a True Uconn Fan
[old.