Looking way ahead to 2016-17

[meyers7]

I don't see Williams going back to the perimeter at UConn for numerous reasons and Ekmark has to show a lot more to prove she can be part of the rotation.

Possibly. Time will tell. I agree they are both more 3 than 2's. But we did have KML at the 2 some this year when Stokes would come in for Nurse. Granted, we had Jefferson at the point, so there really wasn't any need for a 2G.

Jefferson wasn't so much brought along slowly as she was nearly helpless on offense for 3/4 of her first year. There were times I didn't think she was ever going to make it.

I disagree with that, and I had no doubts she'd be really good. Took a little longer than I thought, I'll give you that.

I don't expect that to be the case for Dangerfield, but it's not out of the question.

Really? You are expecting Dangerfield to be better than Jefferson? That would be nice, but that's a lot to ask. You realize Jefferson was the number 1 player in her class.....except for the fact that Stewart was in her class. And there is no Stewart in Dangerfield's class.

Chong will have to make significant strides to be a starter on a national contender which UConn should be if the PG situation settles. Maybe Dangerfield works her way into the starting lineup over the course of the year.

Not necessarily. Geno has started SR's before that were not the best player. I don't know that it will be her that keeps her from starting her SR year. She may be plenty capable, but might still be overtaken by other players.

 

[meyers7]

I don't know the way KLS is handling the ball in that recently posted video might be just what that spot needs.

Ummmm, that was a Forward's ball handling, not a guard's. Not that she might not play the 2 on occasion, but it won't be for her ball handling. KML played the 2 spot some last year, but you had Jefferson to handle the ball.

This is a guard's handling.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

I disagree with that, and I had no doubts she'd be really good. Took a little longer than I thought, I'll give you that.

You disagree that Jefferson was helpless on offense early on? She had no clue how to get a shot off or where to go on the court for quite a while.

Really? You are expecting Dangerfield to be better than Jefferson? That would be nice, but that's a lot to ask. You realize Jefferson was the number 1 player in her class.....except for the fact that Stewart was in her class. And there is no Stewart in Dangerfield's class.

Dangerfield's ranked 3rd by Hoopgurlz and 4th by both Blue Star and Prospects Nation. But none of that is relevant. I believe Dangerfield will be ready to play sooner than Jefferson was; didn't say who would be better.

As for Chong, I stand by my comment. I don't believe she starts on a title contender without significant improvement. It took two games for Geno to replace her with a freshmen last year.

 

[CocoHusky]

Ummmm, that was a Forward's ball handling, not a guard's. Not that she might not play the 2 on occasion, but it won't be for her ball handling. KML played the 2 spot some last year, but you had Jefferson to handle the ball.

This is a guard's handling.

Ummm, did you really think I was comparing MoJeff ball handling to KLS or guard to Forward? If KLS does play the SG position as we both seem to think she might even "occasionally" it will be because she has the skill set to do so- ball handling is included in that skill set.

 

[triaddukefan]

seems like a good time to bump this thread

 

[bballnut90]

Time to edit, with UCONN back in the mix:

1. South Carolina-Some pieces have to fall into place, but Dawn is loading up on talent in South Carolina. They'll have an unbelievably talented quartet in Davis, Gray, Coates and Wilson. Davis and Gray and shoot and take the ball off the dribble, Wilson is a prototypical 4, and Coates a prototypical center. A lot will depend on how the new players blend and how Cuevas and handle point guard duties, but from a talent and experience stand point, USC is #1.

2. Notre Dame-They will be LOADED in 2016-17. They will have all three posts who were in the rotation this year, Lindsey Allen as a senior, their loaded 2015 class and at least 2 top 10 kids from 2016. Everyone is back but Mabrey and Cable. Turner could be a POY candidate if she develops more offensively. This team could be Notre Dame's best yet.

3. Connecticut-If I had betting money on 2016-17 right now, it'd be on the Huskies simply because of Geno and the talent they have coming in. The only reason they aren't #1 on my list is we haven't seen how effective Butler, KLS, or Collier will be at the collegiate level. They have Nurse and Tuck who are proven commodities and Tuck could be a POY candidate her senior year. The hardest player to replace will be Jefferson, as she will graduate Connecticut as possibly the school's best point guard ever. Dangerfield will come in and should be dynamite, but it is worth noting UCONN has never won a title with a freshman point guard so I'm not sure if she'll start or be the primary point. Stewart's production, length and inside-outside capabilities will be sorely missed, but with KLS and Collier, UCONN will still have a formidable front court.

4. Baylor-Another team that will be absolutely stacked. Nina Davis, Alexis Jones, pretty much all of their guards/wings excluding Niya Johnson should be back for 2016-17. Not to mention, their 2 talented incoming freshmen will have a year of experience under their belts and should be able to make a big impact for Baylor.

5. Tennessee-If they land Mavunga as some speculate, Tennessee will be higher on this list. They have a slew of good guards who will need to improve scoring ability over the next two years to make Tennessee dynamic. They have DeShields, another POY candidate in 2017, and Russell who is an x-factor but could develop into an outstanding post presence by her junior season. If they add in Mavunga, Tennessee could have the nation's best front court with Russell/Mavunga/DeShields. Add in Jasmine Jones and Jaime Nared in the front court, and a backcourt rotation of Te'a Cooper, Carter and Reynolds and you have a really dangerous team.

6. Duke-On 2nd thought, I can't put Duke above Tennessee, even with the Lexi Brown transfer. Duke has consistently underachieved, but they will have one of their best rosters in a while. Brown is great but I'm not sure she will really elevate Duke when Duke has the likes of Salvadores and Lambert on board. An experienced front court of Greenwell, Stevens and Chidom will give Duke one of its best frontcourts since the days of Black and Bales.

7. Ohio State-Kelsey Mitchell is outstanding and will carry the team, but she'll have ample support compared to this season with the transfer of Calhoun and fewer players with ACL injuries.

8. Texas-So much talent coming in, and there's a good chance they'll land a couple other great players in 2016, but still have a ways to go.

 

[triaddukefan]

6. Duke-On 2nd thought, I can't put Duke above Tennessee, even with the Lexi Brown transfer. Duke has consistently underachieved, but they will have one of their best rosters in a while. Brown is great but I'm not sure she will really elevate Duke when Duke has the likes of Salvadores and Lambert on board. An experienced front court of Greenwell, Stevens and Chidom will give Duke one of its best frontcourts since the days of Black and Bales.
o.

And TN hasnt ?

 

[bballnut90]

And TN hasnt ?

I never claimed they haven't....but I think Tennessee will have a better team in 2017 than Duke will.

 

[triaddukefan]

I never claimed they haven't....but I think Tennessee will have a better team in 2017 than Duke will.

Meh.... I disagree...... but we will see.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Louisville?

 

[Kibitzer]

Ecclesiastes 9:11:

"The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong."​

Ring Lardner:

" . . . but that's where the smart money goes."​

Having read the entire thread, I have come to two conclusions:

1. Expectations for new players of SC, ND, etc., are very high but more modest for those coming to UConn; and,

2. Ring Lardner was right.
​

Add my belief in Geno and my signature quote (about the heart of a champion), sooooooo. . .

I continue to like our chances.

​

 

[snsservices]

The 2017 class is loaded...... So that class will be very important

 

[Wally East]

Ecclesiastes 9:11:

"The race is not to the swift​

​

Obviously written by a non-runner because the race sure doesn't go to the slow

 

[NickyNewark]

​

Obviously written by a non-runner because the race sure doesn't go to the slow

Rabbit and the hair...nor the battle to the weak ?

 

[Wally East]

Rabbit and the hair...nor the battle to the weak ?

The tortoise and the hare -- another tale written by a non-runner.

 

[ctfjr]

Looks like there will be ten teams in the 2016-2017 final four! (shall we call it a final ten tournament?)

Well, it looks like Tenn has a chance then to make a 'final something'

 

[2Husky]

I haven't seen any changes that should put anyone above UConn. maybe if UConn's players don't develop at all, and the other teams players magically do then ND has an even money shot and SC would be slight underdogs, it takes more than being a self described great coach to beat UConn.

 

[arty155]

Rabbit and the hair... ?

Aflac's ASAP's Aesop's most fabeless tail???

 

[PhillyCoach]

All I know is ND is going to be brutally hard. We'll have to see how KLS and NC develop but more than likely Turner will be the best player on the court and they'll have the best pg on the court. And I think Reimer is an underrated very good player. They're big three will be upperclassmen. ND will be a beast in 2016-2017 depending on how good Turner will be.

hoop meister - Totally agree that ND is going to be brutally hard and that will probably be every year!! Also, many posters listed 8-10 schools that will have the talent to compete and possibly win. Let me just look at ND vs UConn and be conservative--Tuck is equal to Turner. (Tuck will be in 5th year with NC winning experience so many would put Tuck a smidge ahead) Reimer--she developed that 10-12 foot shot and it was nice, but Butler is physically bigger and probably a better rebounder/scorer. I am not a big Reimer fan in regard to her controlling a game. Allen - she has developed and is very good, I would put Nurse equal since Kia has a total game/defense/NC winning experience/Canada National that brings her equal to Allen. If Dangerfield spots her and Chong contributes then that spot is a push.
IMHO UConn subs--Gabby, Chong are equal or better. Talking about the new recruits, how can Lou, NC, Danger etc. not be equal(or better) to ND new recruits. So staying conservative it is pretty close. Throw in the mental toughness and winning the big ones, plus the best coaching tandem in the Universe and I have UConn by a nose.

 

[Tonyc]

All this talk about Stewart and MoJeff graduating and how good will UConn be. This is not a matchup of rosters its a match up of teams and UConn is a team and a team will win out almost every single time over a bunch of individual players. All the talent in the world on a roster wont be a talented team. That's why UConn and ND continue to play in the NC game. So with all the transfers there is a lot of excitement and hype. Most of those transfers are coming from teams who had great rosters but no team. They depended on their talent not their team. I like UConn in the future. They may not win every game by 25+ pts because of who they lose through graduation but for an opponent to make up 25 pts is really difficult especially when UConn is adding top players who are committed to Geno and his system.

 

[Kibitzer]

It is possible, if not likely, that Coach Hatchell will step down, for various and obvious reasons.

IF this happens, we can expect an intense search and imagine a fabulous opportunity for the new hire -- something like $.6 million base for 5 years, more $$ for radio and tv, still more $$$ for unis and shoes, a huge budget for assistants and recruiting/travel. and bonuses for NCAA Tournament ($50K). Sweet Sixteen ($100K), Final Four ($250K) and NC ($1M). Finally, $100K for every player who graduates.

Something like that.

Early targets? Jeff Walz, Kim Barnes-Arico, Dawn Staley, Jim Jabir, Jenn Rizzotti, Dawn Staley, and Shea Ralph.

Dark Horses? Diana Taurasi (HC) and Sue Bird (Assoc. HC).

Who did I miss?

 

[chrissaran]

Kia Nurse, Gabby Williams, Natalie Butler, Katie Lou Samuelson, Napheesa Collier, De'Janae Boykin, Kyla Irwin, Crystal Dangerfield, Molly Bent, Saniya Chong and Courtney Ekmark and one more that Geno will add.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Aflac's ASAP's Aesop's most fabeless tail???

Well done, sir.

 

[meyers7]

Ecclesiastes 9:11:

"The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong."​

Ring Lardner:

" . . . but that's where the smart money goes."​

Having read the entire thread, I have come to two conclusions:

1. Expectations for new players of SC, ND, etc., are very high but more modest for those coming to UConn; and,

2. Ring Lardner was right.
​

Add my belief in Geno and my signature quote (about the heart of a champion), sooooooo. . .

I continue to like our chances.

​

I like them too.

....but time and chance happeneth to them all.

UCONN can't win every year. Just like they can't win every game. They'll be good and in the hunt in 2016-17, but the smart money goes with the field that year.

 

[UcMiami]

Given the musical chairs between May 9 when this thread started and now some six weeks later, I find the whole premise of predicting team strength 18 months out a wee bit amusing!

Given that two of the 'favorites' above are pushing the limit of 15 scholarships, and that has a tendency to make chemistry difficult, we could easily see more musical chairs next year.

I like the Uconn team and certainly think there are a bunch of strong competitors in 16-17. And Uconn will be replacing two (and possibly three) top 3 type draft picks so there will be a significant transition for them. Other teams will be more upper-class dominated and that could bode well for them.

 

[bballnut90]

hoop meister - Totally agree that ND is going to be brutally hard and that will probably be every year!! Also, many posters listed 8-10 schools that will have the talent to compete and possibly win. Let me just look at ND vs UConn and be conservative--Tuck is equal to Turner. (Tuck will be in 5th year with NC winning experience so many would put Tuck a smidge ahead) Reimer--she developed that 10-12 foot shot and it was nice, but Butler is physically bigger and probably a better rebounder/scorer. I am not a big Reimer fan in regard to her controlling a game. Allen - she has developed and is very good, I would put Nurse equal since Kia has a total game/defense/NC winning experience/Canada National that brings her equal to Allen. If Dangerfield spots her and Chong contributes then that spot is a push.
IMHO UConn subs--Gabby, Chong are equal or better. Talking about the new recruits, how can Lou, NC, Danger etc. not be equal(or better) to ND new recruits. So staying conservative it is pretty close. Throw in the mental toughness and winning the big ones, plus the best coaching tandem in the Universe and I have UConn by a nose.

Tuck is more polished offensively than Turner, but Turner is a better rebounder/defender and she has significantly more upside than Tuck Tuck is outstanding in her own right, but physically isn't in the same league as Turner and in two years I'd expect Turner to establish herself as a better player than Tuck.

Butler is a bit of a wild card since we have not seen how she will perform against good teams. She put up huge rebounding numbers for a team that finished 11-21 and played in a weak conference. Offensively she shot 49% and had 102 turnovers, which isn't bad but doesn't signal the 2nd coming of a Stephanie Dolson. Does she have a mid range game? I haven't seen her play, I only know her on stats and from what I've read here, which sounds promising but playing in a mediocre Big East will be a lot different than playing some brutal competition that UCONN will face. On the flip side, Reimer's scoring/rebounding aren't as gaudy and she has a slightly better but not overwhelmingly great FG and turnover statistics, but she also played on the nation's #2 team and against an incredibly difficult schedule. She had her ups and downs, but by mid year she came on strong and put up some big numbers against really good competition (Final Four vs. South Carolina, ACC Championship vs. Florida State, vs. Louisville). She doesn't have a great back to the basket game but has developed a nice midrange jumper and is a very physical post. She is a great compliment to Turner and should be one of the main offensive weapons for the Irish in 2016. I think both will be significantly better by 2016-17, but I'd have to give the edge to Reimer who has proved herself in big moments.

Also, I'd definitely rank Allen over Nurse at this point in their careers. Allen has been the starting point guard for 2 outstanding Notre Dame teams and she has improved immensely from her freshman to sophomore year. She can shoot from long, beat you off the dribble, and plays really solid defense. She is terrific as a floor general and has been a major reason why Notre Dame has been so good offensively the last two years. Nurse is going to improve and be sensational at Connecticut, but in terms of pure point guard play, I'd give a big advantage to Allen who will be a 4th year starting point guard compared to Nurse who will have played 2 guard for the vast majority of her time at Connecticut until that point.

 

[CocoHusky]

Given the musical chairs between May 9 when this thread started and now some six weeks later, I find the whole premise of predicting team strength 18 months out a wee bit amusing!

Given that two of the 'favorites' above are pushing the limit of 15 scholarships, and that has a tendency to make chemistry difficult, we could easily see more musical chairs next year.

I like the Uconn team and certainly think there are a bunch of strong competitors in 16-17. And Uconn will be replacing two (and possibly three) top 3 type draft picks so there will be a significant transition for them. Other teams will be more upper-class dominated and that could bode well for them.

Agree completely. Throw in that Cox, Holmes, or McCoy could easily shift the balance of power of the top teams as could UCONN losing one of the Assistant coaches.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Tuck is more polished offensively than Turner, but Turner is a better rebounder/defender and she has significantly more upside than Tuck Tuck is outstanding in her own right, but physically isn't in the same league as Turner and in two years I'd expect Turner to establish herself as a better player than Tuck.

I'm a huge fan of Turner's talent, but it's hard to believe she has "significantly" more upside than Tuck. Better rebounder and shot-blocker, sure. Tuck's actually a very good defender all over the court and has one of the best and most efficient post games in the country. Tuck's an All-American who may only get on that list once as a result of an archaic rule.

 

[Gus Mahler]

I'm a huge fan of Turner's talent, but it's hard to believe she has "significantly" more upside than Tuck. Better rebounder and shot-blocker, sure. Tuck's actually a very good defender all over the court and has one of the best and most efficient post games in the country. Tuck's an All-American who may only get on that list once as a result of an archaic rule.

Tuck's a terrific all-around player. Fun to watch.

 

[bballnut90]

I'm a huge fan of Turner's talent, but it's hard to believe she has "significantly" more upside than Tuck. Better rebounder and shot-blocker, sure. Tuck's actually a very good defender all over the court and has one of the best and most efficient post games in the country. Tuck's an All-American who may only get on that list once as a result of an archaic rule.

The upside factor is more a product of her athleticism and being unpolished than anything else. Tuck is a very polished offensive player, where Turner isn't right now. I'd look for Turner to develop a better midrange jumper, a face up game and back to the basket post game over the next couple of years. She already runs the floor better than anyone in the country and finishes alley oops at the rim, which are some things Tuck doesn't do and probably will not add to her offensive arsenal. If Turner adds this to her game, she will truly be a match up nightmare similar to how Stewart is a match up nightmare because opponents cannot defend Stewart's length and she can score from inside and out.

Tuck is also a strong defender, but again, she isn't going to own the paint defensively like Stewart or Turner can. I'm not slighting Tuck at all--I think she is a fantastic player who will develop into a very good pro which I didn't see happening after her freshman season, but physically she isn't in the same league that Turner is.