Looking way ahead to 2016-17 | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Looking way ahead to 2016-17

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j66kicker said:
So...Tuck, Nurse, Butler, Williams, Samuelson, Collier, Dangerfield. I'll take it vs ND's powerhouse roster. We survived the loss of Dolson & Hartley OK. Geno has prepared to survive the loss of Stewart & Jefferson. This young lineup might lose a couple games, but by the NCAA's ND will be scared of them, not vice-versa.
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completely agree with this. We take some big losses but not insurmountable ones. I think Tuck would be the preseason player of the year, and we should still be #1 heading into the season. While other teams may improve more than UConn, I don't see it as a situation where another team will improve so much as to be better than UConn. ND may be about as good at best.
 
2Husky said:
While other teams may improve more than UConn, I don't see it as a situation where another team will improve so much as to be better than UConn. ND may be about as good at best.
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UConn will be relying on either Chong or freshmen Dangerfield at the point. That's a big, big issue. I don't see Nurse as a point guard though maybe that'll change.
 
Sluconn Husky said:
UConn will be relying on either Chong or freshmen Dangerfield at the point. That's a big, big issue. I don't see Nurse as a point guard though maybe that'll change.
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Sluconn I am not sure I agree that this is a big issue. Big issue to me would be one that has no solution. Nurse will be a Junior which means she has 1 more full year to learn PG position. Let's say you want to solve the issue with recruiting 2015 recruiting is closed out with no PGs available. A PG that transfers inn would have to sit a year. So the next best opportunity is class of 2016. In 2016 UCONN has already snagged the best PG available. One of three will step up to be the starter and another can be an adequate backup. I more worried about adding SG depth and filling the hole that will be left once Stewie graduates.
 
triaddukefan said:
precisely.... thats why we (well a few of us) are so anxiously awaiting 2016-17 ;)
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Ahem.

Anxiously or eagerly?

(Boneyarders tend to be eager as we await the upcoming season(s).;)
 
CocoHusky said:
So the next best opportunity is class of 2016. In 2016 UCONN has already snagged the best PG available. One of three will step up to be the starter and another can be an adequate backup.
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Not many teams win titles with freshmen PG's though that might be UConn's best choice. It's quite a change going from senior Moriah to freshmen Crystal.

I'm guessing/hoping that KLS and Collier will be really good as sophomores and that could negate the loss of Stewart.
 
I disagree with some on this thread. In 2016-2017 we're the underdog if Turner turns out to be the best player on the court which is very, very possible. Plus as slew points out and bballnut points out about the pg play and senior leadership -- Saniya needs to grow a lot or we take a hit on experience. Since when is pg play not that important and who can stand up to Allen at the moment of 2016-2017? Geno doesn't play the game. Allen as if this moment looks like she will be the best guard on the court that specific year-- and guard play is always huge. IMO more important than post play (though post paly important very impt too.).

What I like is what another poster said though I don't agree with the word that he used the word was "scared." There is no way UCONN or ND will be scared of one another. But how I'm thinking is -- we should win again this year-- 3 straight years. We'll be playing with house money in 2016-2017. We'll be a brutally tough underdog. The pressure is going to be on other teams to get us that year. Because the following year we are going to be loaded with juniors and seniors.

And hopefully we'll continue to recruit extremely well. Heck if I'm a scorer- any position - I get a chance to have Dangerfield as my pg-- sign me up!!!! What I've seen briefly from "The Real Danger" is that she is special -- add that up each year with who are her older teammates-- we're looking at an incredibly efficient, yet merciless rabid (husky) dog for the future.
 
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As I look at the targets for 2017, I can see a stellar class with some combination of the following:


Espinosa-Hunter Guard
Danielle Patterson 6-3 Forward
Megan Walker 6-1 Wing (amazingly talented top player)
LaDazhia Williams 6-3 Power Forward

This could develop into a very talented class but 2016 class is on deck first.
 
I guess I don't see Chong as the liability many do, I think she has the skill she needs and its more about being more consistent and she has a whole year to work on that. A backcourt with Chong, Nurse, Williams, and Dangerfield should be ok. I think it could be like 2013, where we didn't have a solid true pg and still cut down the nets. Geno is very good at hiding his teams weaknesses and developing talent. I don't think other teams will dramatically out develop their talent relative to UConn, if they did that UConn wouldn't have so many titles. I reserve the right to revise my assessment as we move closer, but right now i'd rather be a homer, no need to get anxious for games 2 years out.
 
2Husky said:
I guess I don't see Chong as the liability many do, I think she has the skill she needs and its more about being more consistent and she has a whole year to work on that. A backcourt with Chong, Nurse, Williams, and Dangerfield should be ok. I think it could be like 2013, where we didn't have a solid true pg and still cut down the nets. Geno is very good at hiding his teams weaknesses and developing talent. I don't think other teams will dramatically out develop their talent relative to UConn, if they did that UConn wouldn't have so many titles. I reserve the right to revise my assessment as we move closer, but right now i'd rather be a homer, no need to get anxious for games 2 years out.
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I don't see Saniya as a liability. Rather- I see Allen as one of the top pg's in all of basketball in her senior year. "Should be ok" is not the as -- "will be great." Allen as senior - will more than likely be great. Not "DT", Sue Bird" or MoJeff" great but among the top pg's in all of wcbb.

If it is like 2013-- then imo a player will have to emerge as being the best player on the court. Stewie was that. I've given ND "the favorite nod" because in part I think Turner will be the best player on the court. If a husky outplays her and is best player on the court-- I'm with ya big time!

I don't know about "dramatically outdevelop talent relative to UCONN." ND recruits near UCONN level. Some years they outrecruit UCONN.

I'm with ya-- UCONN can certainly win it all 2 years from now - absolutely. Just saying imo UCONN won't be favored. And I feel the other teams will be under more pressure. This year for example imo UCONN will be a prohibitive favorite to win it all. Some of the opponents will be able to play loose. However in 2016-2017 because I feel a team like ND will be favored -- they might feel more pressure if they meet us in the final four.
 
hoophuskee said:
I don't see Saniya as a liability. Rather- I see Allen as one of the top pg's in all of basketball in her senior year. "Should be ok" is not the as -- "will be great." Allen as senior - will more than likely be great. Not "DT", Sue Bird" or MoJeff" great but among the top pg's in all of wcbb.

If it is like 2013-- then imo a player will have to emerge as being the best player on the court. Stewie was that. I've given ND "the favorite nod" because in part I think Turner will be the best player on the court. If a husky outplays her and is best player on the court-- I'm with ya big time!

I don't know about "dramatically outdevelop talent relative to UCONN." ND recruits near UCONN level. Some years they outrecruit UCONN.

I'm with ya-- UCONN can certainly win it all 2 years from now - absolutely. Just saying imo UCONN won't be favored. And I feel the other teams will be under more pressure. This year for example imo UCONN will be a prohibitive favorite to win it all. Some of the opponents will be able to play loose. However in 2016-2017 because I feel a team like ND will be favored -- they might feel more pressure if they meet us in the final four.
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I don't see Saniya as a liability, either. She is, in fact, an asset, and not merely because of her ability to start at point guard her senior year.
 
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As well as KLS is as good as we expected (same as #1 pick, KML, Stewart) we should not worry too much for 2016-2017.
 
I think ND will be best of the rest, but its still UConns world. IF Allen and Turner develop as much as you think they will have a very strong team. I think Tuck will be better than Turner though, or at least as good even though Turner will have a size and athleticism advantage. Our guard group should be very good, even if we don't have one dominant guard. I think Nurse will still be able to smother Allen on defense though. I think we will clearly have the advantage on the wings, and its definitely possible KLS becomes the best player on the court. If Butler is a good passer and the offense can move through her then we will be practically unstoppable. We will still have the best coach, and a team that will outwork any other team.
 
Here is a video of Butler playing when she still was at Georgetown. They are Xavier highlights. I don't have any comments on the video but it is here for anyone who wants to see it.

 
Tonyc said:
Well I don't think UConn has anything to prove. Their numbers and accomplishments speak for itself. They are the dynasty and no other team comes close. Will UConn become weaker when Breanna and MoJeff graduate? We don't know that? Will are next 2 classes be just as powerful? The bottom line is UConn is a team and plays team ball. They are disciplined like the Marines. Its not about the talent other teams have, because there is a lot of talent out there. Its about the development of the players and development of the team. UConn is developed light years ahead of their opponents. Could UConn lose? Yes. Just look at the Stanford game. People are still saying how did they lose that game....not how did Stanford win it. Big Big Difference. So what does the future hold for UConn. Well as far as Im concerned a lot more NCs. Its going to take every other team a long time to catch up to UConn. UConn may not win every game by double digits in the future but I wouldn't bet against it. I said it last season with Wilson or Turner or without UConn would continue to win the NC and they did and they will again this season. So if Cox comes great and if she doesn't good luck to her because imo she will most likely never win a NC but UConn will. Think about it. Wilson and Turner are great players and they may never win a NC because they didn't come to UConn? Pretty strong words but right now they look pretty much on. So bottom line. Cox hasn't visited SC or UConn. Will she? I guess we will have to wait and see.
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As an RU fan and ex Marine i hate to admit it but its obvious in the cohesion..talent alone isn't enough. UConn WBB has now built a mystique about them and others come in scared. RU used to have something similar but on a lesser level but seem to have lost a bit of the brashness they used to carry and intimidate others with. As long as Geno's here i see UConn as practically peerless!
 
NickyNewark said:
As an RU fan and ex Marine i hate to admit it but its obvious in the cohesion..talent alone isn't enough. UConn WBB has now built a mystique about them and others come in scared. RU used to have something similar but on a lesser level but seem to have lost a bit of the brashness they used to carry and intimidate others with. As long as Geno's here i see UConn as practically peerless!
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Tasha Pointer wasn't the most talented guard in the game but she brought that swagger that we associate with players like Diana Taurasi. Both Tasha and DT had that "this is MY court and MY game" attitude that was contagious. Your 2007 team had several players like that - Epiphanny Prince, Matee Ajavon and Essence Carson come to mind. That attitude (combined with stellar talent) is what brought RU to the NC title game a few years back.

Tasha is now a coach for RU, yes?
 
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HuskyNan said:
Tasha Pointer wasn't the most talented guard in the game but she brought that swagger that we associate with players like Diana Taurasi. Both Tasha and DT had that "this is MY court and MY game" attitude that was contagious. Your 2007 team had several players like that - Epiphanny Prince, Matee Ajavon and Essence Carson come to mind. That attitude (combined with stellar talent) is what brought RU to the NC title game a few years back.

Tasha is now a coach for RU, yes?
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Yeah she is...my hope is CViv gets one more "hurrah" and maybe get that elusive Natty!?!..Clock is ticking though...I hope they get another HC in the elite category post CVS when she hangs it up Nan?
 
HuskyNan said:
Tasha Pointer wasn't the most talented guard in the game but she brought that swagger that we associate with players like Diana Taurasi. Both Tasha and DT had that "this is MY court and MY game" attitude that was contagious. Your 2007 team had several players like that - Epiphanny Prince, Matee Ajavon and Essence Carson come to mind. That attitude (combined with stellar talent) is what brought RU to the NC title game a few years back.

Tasha is now a coach for RU, yes?
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BTW Tyler should end up in that category of Matee and Pointer..though shes not a Pip.
 
NickyNewark said:
Yeah she is...my hope is CViv gets one more "hurrah" and maybe get that elusive Natty!?!..Clock is ticking though...I hope they get another HC in the elite category post CVS when she hangs it up Nan?
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I have to think the RU head coach job is highly desirable. A Big 10 team in a major market near one of the great talent pools in the U.S.? absolutely.

I heard Courtney Banghart is high on the short list of potential coaches for when CVS retires. She was high on the list before this past year's incredible success. RU fans should be hoping she's not snatched up befoe CViv calls it a day.
 
2Husky said:
I think ND will be best of the rest, but its still UConns world. IF Allen and Turner develop as much as you think they will have a very strong team. I think Tuck will be better than Turner though, or at least as good even though Turner will have a size and athleticism advantage. Our guard group should be very good, even if we don't have one dominant guard. I think Nurse will still be able to smother Allen on defense though. I think we will clearly have the advantage on the wings, and its definitely possible KLS becomes the best player on the court. If Butler is a good passer and the offense can move through her then we will be practically unstoppable. We will still have the best coach, and a team that will outwork any other team.
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Okay- I agree with you about the wings. With that said I have 3 comments

1--- If you think Tuck will be better than Turner and Nurse will smother Allen and we agree our wings are better -- then you must feel ND has nearly no shot to beat UCONN after Stewie and MoJeff leave along with you have to feel UCONN will blow them out.

2--- So do you think if Turner is better than Tuck and is the best player on the court, and Allen is the best guard on the court - can you understand the argument that ND will be favored?

3--- Like you said-- I too reserve the right to change my opinion. If Butler becomes a force - certainly UCONN becomes that much more of a beast and they will be a beast in 2016-2017 even if Butler isn't a beastly machine. If for example we beat them in 2016-2017 I think she would either have negated Reimer or outplayed her. That would be impressive imo.
 
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Sluconn Husky said:
UConn will be relying on either Chong or freshmen Dangerfield at the point. That's a big, big issue. I don't see Nurse as a point guard though maybe that'll change.
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I don't know that's true. Nurse will be able to play the point. Granted she not a true point, but I think she will be able to run the team some of the time. Won't be Jeffersonish, but we've lived with a combo guard before (Hartley). In truth Bird was a combo guard when she came to UCONN.
 
meyers7 said:
I don't know that's true. Nurse will be able to play the point. Granted she not a true point, but I think she will be able to run the team some of the time. Won't be Jeffersonish, but we've lived with a combo guard before (Hartley). In truth Bird was a combo guard when she came to UCONN.
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Nurse is quite a bit bigger than Bird or Hartley though. If you have Nurse at the point then who plays the other guard spot? That's why I think it might have to be Dangerfield and Nurse in the backcourt. Unless Dangerfield is completely out of her element, which I don't expect, it's probably the best scenario. They will just need her to improve over the season if they want to compete in March/April. She can do that much better by getting heavy minutes.
 
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Sluconn Husky said:
Nurse is quite a bit bigger than Bird or Hartley though. If you have Nurse at the point then who plays the other guard spot? That's why I think it might have to be Dangerfield and Nurse in the backcourt. Unless Dangerfield is completely out of her element, which I don't expect, it's probably the best scenario. They will just need her to improve over the season if they want to compete in March/April. She can do that much better by getting heavy minutes.
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Well there are plenty of possibilities. Nurse's height is not going to hurt her ability to run the point. Probably help. But anyway, you could use Nurse and Chong. Haven't figured out if Chong is more a 1/2 or a 2/1, probably a 1/2. Either way you could use them both, with them splitting the PG duties. Also Williams is probably more a 3/4 than a 3/2, but she may develop into playing some 2. I think Ekmark and Samuelson could play some time at the 2. And of course you can let Dangerfield play with Nurse, probably not start, but bring her along slowly like Jefferson was her FR year. Probably need her up to speed by her SO year though.
 
hoophuskee said:
Okay- I agree with you about the wings. With that said I have 3 comments

1--- If you think Tuck will be better than Turner and Nurse will smother Allen and we agree our wings are better -- then you must feel ND has nearly no shot to beat UCONN after Stewie and MoJeff leave along with you have to feel UCONN will blow them out.

2--- So do you think if Turner is better than Tuck and is the best player on the court, and Allen is the best guard on the court - can you understand the argument that ND will be favored?

3--- Like you said-- I too reserve the right to change my opinion. If Butler becomes a force - certainly UCONN becomes that much more of a beast and they will be a beast in 2016-2017 even if Butler isn't a beastly machine. If for example we beat them in 2016-2017 I think she would either have negated Reimer or outplayed her. That would be impressive imo.
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1) I wouldn't say no shot but under that scenario UConn should be 10-15pt neutral court favorites. ND's best shot would be in a regular season meeting.

2) I definitely understand the arguments for favoring ND. I even think they are completely plausible. I think Turner being an AA is pretty much a sure thing. If Allen is indeed the best guard that makes them very dangerous. It looks like they will have a very very very good team. I think UConn's help defense can go a long way in taking out players who on paper are better than the UConn player at that position, which is why I would think best case scenario is they are ~4pt favorites.

3) I agree.

I just hope I'm right because I want UConn to win. But if you are right it looks like UConn will have great competition, which will also be good. To me, partly because I don't watch a lot of ND games, there are more question marks in terms of the potential of their players, so I lean towards UConn for now. Lets hope the players stay healthy so we can see how this plays out.

Sluconn Husky said:
Nurse is quite a bit bigger than Bird or Hartley though. If you have Nurse at the point then who plays the other guard spot? That's why I think it might have to be Dangerfield and Nurse in the backcourt. Unless Dangerfield is completely out of her element, which I don't expect, it's probably the best scenario. They will just need her to improve over the season if they want to compete in March/April. She can do that much better by getting heavy minutes.
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I think Nurse is about the same size as DT, and she played a lot at point. I also wouldn't overlook the possibility of Williams starting at point, we will see how much she develops this season, but I would expect to start gravitating back to her natural position, albeit with a new arsenal of skills in her bag of tricks.
 
I actually thought the 'competition' in this past year's NCAAs was extremely good - if one stops looking for 'major' upsets and instead looks at the actual games being played. Except for Uconn, the FF teams could easily have lost games prior to the FF and were hard pressed in previous games and ND/SC could have gone either way. Uconn's win over ND was not exactly a cake walk either.

Agree that ND appears to be maintaining a very strong team and should be really tough in 2016-17. Muffet is keeping the pipeline of talent consistently high, and she does a very good job of 'plug and play' when she loses talent. The unexpected departure this year may make for some growing pains next year, but they will still be talented and tough.

As for the others - Baylor and TN seem to have the horses, SC needs to have some recruiting success to restock. Curious to see what happens on the west coast - a more competitive atmosphere in the Pac12 this past year sort of fizzled in the NCAAs, but ...?
 
Sluconn Husky said:
UConn will be relying on either Chong or freshmen Dangerfield at the point. That's a big, big issue. I don't see Nurse as a point guard though maybe that'll change.
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She plays point for a pretty good national team up north so ...I don't know what you are not seeing? She is not a Moriah type of PG, but maybe more of a Whalen physically and mentally?
 
meyers7 said:
Also Williams is probably more a 3/4 than a 3/2, but she may develop into playing some 2. I think Ekmark and Samuelson could play some time at the 2. And of course you can let Dangerfield play with Nurse, probably not start, but bring her along slowly like Jefferson was her FR year.
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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. 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 don't expect that to be the case for Dangerfield, but it's not out of the question. 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.
 
Sluconn Husky said:
Nurse is quite a bit bigger than Bird or Hartley though. If you have Nurse at the point then who plays the other guard spot?
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I don't know the way KLS is handling the ball in that recently posted video might be just what that spot needs.
 
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