New Comments from Geno Re Short Bench

[DefenseBB]

@JoePgh I don't find any "new" in these comments clearly the comments are directed at this bench. I also don't believe that the Boneyard ever achieved consensus about more playing for anyone because many of us understood the standard of earning Geno's trust. Come to think of it I'm not sure Boneyard ever achieved consensus on anything.
Strangely enough we have been here before, Kiah Stokes was a all world class defender but the offense bogged down at times with her.

Coco, I think the "re-iteration on his mantra" is warranted from time to time to remind our colleagues why some BYers see different skills during games then others. Example, Molly clearly works hard in practice as she's always the 8th person in however her flow in the offense is disjointed, even on the fast break. Similarly neither Nat nor Kyla demonstrate any post moves which would aid an "inside-out" game. Gabby, while not playing much her freshman year, is an unbelievable athlete and while it seems logical, working hard will help, based on Courtney Ekmark's lack of development, I see similar restrictions occurring for this bench. Ideally, Nat needs to work on "Morgan" moves she saw the last two years and that might open the weakside for Kyla or outside for Molly.

 

[Schoup]

How can you trust someone who has NO talent(or little talent)?

Geno surely is not expecting Bent or Irwin to light things up. He wants to get to the point where you can put them in and not have then screw up. ..ie trust. Give good minutes to rest people, play defense and run the offense up to their talent limitations. Make the simple plays, not have bad turnovers, telegraphed passes, make the correct defensive rotations,etc.... In Geno's comments over the years he understands physical limitations. He wants the limited talent players to play smart and he trusts them to not mess up and not do things beyond their talent, play smart within the system. He wants them to make the right play mentally whether it turns out right in the end based on their physical limitations. This also comes with not playing robotic, all the frosh at this point when in you see them thinking and thus move in slow motion. The few times Dangerfield looks good is when she just gets in flow in the open court or just goes slashing to the basket, she becomes hesitant running the half court sets in general.

 

[Carnac]

AAC games will get the bench more PT to prove to coach they can be trusted.....No fear.....The Calvary is coming in 9 months.....Hold down the fort until then and win your 5 NC in a row..

Geno has managed a short bench before. If that short bench was not critical to their success in their first 12 games, I think Geno can manage with a short bench for the last 6 at the end of the year. Bent and Irwin really need to make that HS to college transition THIS year. If they don't, they may find themselves on the end of the bench depth wise next year.

It appears to me that they are/will be role players. I doubt either of them will ever become starters. We need role players, everyone can not be a starter. The 2017 freshmen will come in and have to make the same adjustments they do. This will be the only chance they'll have of maintaining their pecking order on the bench. When next year's crop of freshmen come in, they should be sitting behind them. If not, they may find themselves gradually inching their way in the wrong direction on the bench.

When one finds him/her self buried on the end of the bench, it's almost impossible to work your way back up. You have to beat out too many other players. Next year, there should be 14 players on roster for UConn.
That means 9 players on the bench. If you've on the end, you've got 7-8 other potential subs Geno can choose from in front of you. Good luck getting on the floor.

 

[JoePgh]

I would like to understand the factual basis on which people conclude (assume?) the Molly has "NO (or very little)" physical talent. Have you seen her play enough to know that?

Even though they play different positions, I see a significant difference between her and either Natalie or Kyla. Both Nat and Kyla frequently show clumsiness, inability to hang on to balls delivered cleanly to them, missing bunny shots, etc. I have not seen that in Molly's play.

I agree that Molly does not show (and does not have) the extraordinary physical talent of Crystal. She won't make amazing drives, uncanny bounce passes through traffic, or spectacular bank shots. That is really the big difference between Crystal and Molly -- they both make mental mistakes (lazy passes or occasional missed defensive assignments), but Crystal compensates for it with sensational plays that Molly is never going to make. I assume that is why Crystal gets more minutes even while she taxes Geno's patience.

But UConn has a substantial history of guards who were not Top 100 coming out of high school who played very productively -- Jen Rizzotti, Carla Berube, Maria Conlon, Ashley Valley, Mel Thomas (probably an incomplete list). I know that the last three got very few minutes in their freshman years, but became trusted starters by their senior year. (I wasn't around to observe Jen's or Carla's freshman year). I don't see why Molly can't fit into that tradition, and eventually become equally productive and equally trusted. It sounds to me from Geno's comments that her limitations right now are much more mental than physical -- the college game hasn't slowed down for her yet, so she can't play instinctively as she needs to do. (It hasn't slowed down for Crystal either, but she can play instinctively and beat most opponents based on sheer athleticism.)

 

[Monte]

Geno surely is not expecting Bent or Irwin to light things up. He wants to get to the point where you can put them in and not have then screw up. ..ie trust. Give good minutes to rest people, play defense and run the offense up to their talent limitations. Make the simple plays, not have bad turnovers, telegraphed passes, make the correct defensive rotations,etc.... In Geno's comments over the years he understands physical limitations. He wants the limited talent players to play smart and he trusts them to not mess up and not do things beyond their talent, play smart within the system. He wants them to make the right play mentally whether it turns out right in the end based on their physical limitations. This also comes with not playing robotic, all the frosh at this point when in you see them thinking and thus move in slow motion. The few times Dangerfield looks good is when she just gets in flow in the open court or just goes slashing to the basket, she becomes hesitant running the half court sets in general.

 

[HuskyNan]

Bent and Irwin really need to make that HS to college transition THIS year.

No, they don't. They need to learn the offense and defense, play hard every practice, and give some minutes where they don't hurt the team in games. They have to play within their abilities, such as they are at this point in their careers, developing at their own rate or else they'll lose their confidence because too much is expected too soon.

UConn fans have become spoiled because of the wealth of magnificently talented players that have come to UConn, many have been college ready right out of the box, probably due to the USA Basketball experience. Others such as Maria, Kelly Schumacher, Ketia Swanier, et al weren't factors in their freshman years but were important role players later on.

 

[Blue Huskie]

How can you trust someone who has NO talent(or little talent)?

Absurd statement. Players don't get into the UCONN program with "No (or little) talent". Even walk-ons.

 

[Monte]

Geno surely is not expecting Bent or Irwin to light things up. He wants to get to the point where you can put them in and not have then screw up. ..ie trust. Give good minutes to rest people, play defense and run the offense up to their talent limitations. Make the simple plays, not have bad turnovers, telegraphed passes, make the correct defensive rotations,etc.... In Geno's comments over the years he understands physical limitations. He wants the limited talent players to play smart and he trusts them to not mess up and not do things beyond their talent, play smart within the system. He wants them to make the right play mentally whether it turns out right in the end based on their physical limitations. This also comes with not playing robotic, all the frosh at this point when in you see them thinking and thus move in slow motion. The few times Dangerfield looks good is when she just gets in flow in the open court or just goes slashing to the basket, she becomes hesitant running the half court sets in general.

YES, your 2 key words were "talent limitations." You cannot expect that every year, the bench players will have the the same "talent limitations." I just feel that this year this is a 2 player bench. I hope I am wrong.

 

[Schoup]

No, they don't. They need to learn the offense and defense, play hard every practice, and give some minutes where they don't hurt the team in games. They have to play within their abilities, such as they are at this point in their careers, developing at their own rate or else they'll lose their confidence because too much is expected too soon.

UConn fans have become spoiled because of the wealth of magnificently talented players that have come to UConn, many have been college ready right out of the box, probably due to the USA Basketball experience. But others such as Maria, Kelly Schumacher, Ketia Swanier, et al weren't factors in their freshman years but were important role models later on.

Bent and Irwin are going to be shuffled to garbage time status next year. Bent is not playing over Gordon, AEH, Walker, and Irwint is going to be behind Camara, Stevens and Coombs. Coombs though listed as guard I think will be used as a small forward, defensive ball hound and will progress offensively later in her career, Gabby type scenario.

 

[Monte]

Absurd statement. Players don't get into the UCONN program with "No (or little) talent". Even walk-ons.

Why have some players transferred out of Uconn??.....were they getting too much playing time?

 

[HuskyNan]

Bent and Irwin are going to be shuffled to garbage time status next year. Bent is not playing over Gordon, AEH, Walker, and Irwint is going to be behind Camara, Stevens and Coombs. Coombs though listed as guard I think will be used as a small forward, defensive ball hound and will progress offensively later in her career, Gabby type scenario.

Gee, are you related to Bball02145? He was absolutely, 100% convinced that Maria Conlon "would never play one minute in an important game" and would harp on her play. Every. Single. Game. He was so persistent and so definitive about her basic worthlessness to the program that Tim Conlon begged me to ban him (Tim) so he wouldn't say something rude. As it turned out, Maria was the starting point guard of a National Championship team, ending up with 9 assists to zero turnovers in the Final Four.

Will either Kyla or Molly have a Maria-like career? I have no idea - and neither do you.

 

[bags27]

Bent and Irwin are going to be shuffled to garbage time status next year. Bent is not playing over Gordon, AEH, Walker, and Irwint is going to be behind Camara, Stevens and Coombs. Coombs though listed as guard I think will be used as a small forward, defensive ball hound and will progress offensively later in her career, Gabby type scenario.

Wow,wish I were so certain about things in life. What did Geno say when Molly accepted her scholarship offer, that he's won championships playing kids like her, reminding him of Kelly Ferris, wasn't it?

 

[Blue Huskie]

Why have some players transferred out of Uconn??.....were they getting too much playing time?

What's that got to do with anyone having little or no talent?

To answer your question - players transfer because the program isn't for them. And some players have transferred before their Freshman season even started. They didn't even get to the point of being deprived of playing time.

 

[Blue Huskie]

Gee, are you related to Bball02145? He was absolutely, 100% convinced that Maria Conlon "would never play one minute in an important game" and would harp on her play. Every. Single. Game. He was so persistent and so definitive about her basic worthlessness to the program that Tim Conlon begged me to ban him (Tim) so he wouldn't say something rude. As it turned out, Maria was the starting point guard of a National Championship team, ending up with 9 assists to zero turnovers in the Final Four.

Will either Kyla or Molly have a Maria-like career? I have no idea - and neither do you.

Is there any way I can like this post twice?

 

[StephStorrs]

It absolutely boggles my mind when people insinuate that Molly and Kyla have little to no talent. These kids have must have some talent - they're at UConn, playing for one of the greatest dynasties in sports history. Geno recruits every kid for a reason. They're here for a reason. You might not know or see the reason yet, but there's a reason. You don't end up at UConn because you have little or no talent, but if it would make people feel better to think that Molly and Kyla have little or no talent, I guess to each their own. I, however, am going to appreciate what they're able to produce on the court and enjoy watching them go hard for their teammates while they're on the bench.

 

[Schoup]

It absolutely boggles my mind when people insinuate that Molly and Kyla have little to no talent. These kids have must have some talent - they're at UConn, playing for one of the greatest dynasties in sports history. Geno recruits every kid for a reason. They're here for a reason. You might not know or see the reason yet, but there's a reason. You don't end up at UConn because you have little or no talent, but if it would make people feel better to think that Molly and Kyla have little or no talent, I guess to each their own. I, however, am going to appreciate what they're able to produce on the court and enjoy watching them go hard for their teammates while they're on the bench.

UConn struck out on the recruits on their wish list besides Dangerfield in 2016, hence Irwin and Bent. Inosecu and others were on the recruiting board. 2017 Geno got all his recruits. 2018 they have Collier and are really working Smith hard by many reports. Geno doesn't strike out much, but 2016 he only got 1 of his top desired prospects

 

[Buzzyboy]

CocoHusky, you are wrong. Gabby had two surgeries on her knee, was a high school guard and is now a 5'11" center on the Number 1 team in women's college basketball. Nobody plays harder than Gabby, and not only does she defend much bigger centers, when needed she will guard the other team's best guard. No way Crystal has more talent at any position.

I totally concur. I was a bit stunned when I read CocoHusky's remark. Crystal earned kudos based on a phenomenal game against Baylor but other than that game, she's been totally inconsistent and the number of ways that Gabby is contributing now is off the charts. Her skill set has caught up with her remarkable athleticism and I can't visualize a time where Dangerfield is ever going to measure up to Gabby. Even in terms of anticipation, Gabby is amazing. I was a bit reluctant to jump on the Gabby wagon because I felt that her shooting skills were weak at best, coming into this season. Her off season work has paid some serious dividends because she now shoots the ball quite well and is a complete player in every way. Crystal can be an outstanding point guard and a good offensive player but she'll never be the type defender Gabby is and of course will never be able to defend multiple positions like Gabby.

 

[HuskyNan]

I totally concur. I was a bit stunned when I read CocoHusky's remark. Crystal earned kudos based on a phenomenal game against Baylor but other than that game, she's been totally inconsistent and the number of ways that Gabby is contributing now is off the charts. Her skill set has caught up with her remarkable athleticism and I can't visualize a time where Dangerfield is ever going to measure up to Gabby. Even in terms of anticipation, Gabby is amazing. I was a bit reluctant to jump on the Gabby wagon because I felt that her shooting skills were weak at best, coming into this season. Her off season work has paid some serious dividends because she now shoots the ball quite well and is a complete player in every way. Crystal can be an outstanding point guard and a good offensive player but she'll never be the type defender Gabby is and of course will never be able to defend multiple positions like Gabby.

You know Gabby is a junior and Crystal is a freshman, right?

 

[NEforceUConn]

Wow some strange posts about players' future. Keeping it with Molly: she defiantly has talent. I hope, as someone posted, that the game slows down for her and she increases her confidence to show off her offensive game. She may be right on schedule to bring it all together during these AAC games, and has the coach to get results.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

You know Gabby is a junior and Crystal is a freshman, right?

I totally concur. I was a bit stunned when I read CocoHusky's remark. Crystal earned kudos based on a phenomenal game against Baylor but other than that game, she's been totally inconsistent and the number of ways that Gabby is contributing now is off the charts. Her skill set has caught up with her remarkable athleticism and I can't visualize a time where Dangerfield is ever going to measure up to Gabby. Even in terms of anticipation, Gabby is amazing. I was a bit reluctant to jump on the Gabby wagon because I felt that her shooting skills were weak at best, coming into this season. Her off season work has paid some serious dividends because she now shoots the ball quite well and is a complete player in every way. Crystal can be an outstanding point guard and a good offensive player but she'll never be the type defender Gabby is and of course will never be able to defend multiple positions like Gabby.

And it is crazy to compare players who play different positions. Has anyone ever compared Stewie and Moriah before??

 

[Buzzyboy]

You know Gabby is a junior and Crystal is a freshman, right?

Yes, of course I know that Gabby's two years further in her college career! I was responding to a post by CocoHusky that made a case for Crystal (at some point) being better in her own right than Gabby (at any point in their respective UConn careers) and I don't think there's any possibility that will ever happen. It's not meant to be a downer for Crystal but based on the remarkable athleticism Gabby has and how her skill set has evolved, I don't feel Crystal matches up. JMHO! I'm not suggesting that Dangerfield won't have a great college career in Storrs but I'm just responding to CocoHusky's post.

 

[Blue Huskie]

Yes, of course I know that Gabby's two years further in her college career! I was responding to a post by CocoHusky that made a case for Crystal (at some point) being better in her own right than Gabby (at any point in their respective UConn careers) and I don't think there's any possibility that will ever happen. It's not meant to be a downer for Crystal but based on the remarkable athleticism Gabby has and how her skill set has evolved, I don't feel Crystal matches up. JMHO! I'm not suggesting that Dangerfield won't have a great college career in Storrs but I'm just responding to CocoHusky's post.

You could probably leave the "H" out of that.

 

[Gus Mahler]

As is so often the case, it's hard to have a fruitful discussion on these players because of differing interpretations of what "talent" means. A quick Google reveals talent to mean "natural aptitude or skills."

Based on that definition, Molly clearly has talent, and Crystal is loaded with it. I don't think Coco's remark is stunning at all. It's a viable position based on quite a bit of evidence.

Talent and effort are two different things. Working hard might bring out talent, but only if there is something there to start with.

 

[nyfanofwbb]

Some atheletes will accept the scholarship knowing that they will be roll players. Seen it in softball. Given the opportunity to be part of a great program, get a great education, work hard in practice to get the minutes to play. I was always told that these were the token "A"students needed to reach those team academic awards..

 

[Carnac]

No, they don't. They need to learn the offense and defense, play hard every practice, and give some minutes where they don't hurt the team in games. They have to play within their abilities, such as they are at this point in their careers, developing at their own rate or else they'll lose their confidence because too much is expected too soon.

UConn fans have become spoiled because of the wealth of magnificently talented players that have come to UConn, many have been college ready right out of the box, probably due to the USA Basketball experience. Others such as Maria, Kelly Schumacher, Ketia Swanier, et al weren't factors in their freshman years but were important role players later on.

I think they do. They don't have the luxury of waiting until next season to "get it". We're not going to convince each other as to who is right on this. My take is they've got a year's head start to get and stay in front of the next incoming class on the depth chart, or get pushed further down the bench. Everything you've mentioned will help them in this regard. If they have not made the sophomore leap by November, they may be over taken by several of the freshmen who may be more talented than they are.

If any of the 4 freshmen come in and quickly assimilate to the program their first year, that MAY allow them to leap frog over Bent and Irwin on the depth chart. Spoiled fans have absolutely nothing to do with this dynamic. That is Geno's call. How far down on the bench you are depends on your skill set, your understanding of his system, and how much Geno can trust you, not the fans. I understand and appreciate your references to the players you mentioned, but that was then, this is now, and has nothing to to do with 2017. The dynamics are totally different. They both will also be behind Camara & Stevens next year.

Bottom line: IF..................the players coming in next year are more talented, and learn the system quickly, and gain Geno's trust, they will play ahead of Bent & Irwin. We can go back and forth on this, but only Time will tell who is right. You say they can afford to take their time, I say they can't. Time waits for no man. This cannot be resolved now. The results will be predicated on events that won't take place until 11 or 12 months from now. BTW, I'm not suggesting that Bent & Irwin have no talent,that was Monte. I think they do. I'm suggesting that one or two of the incoming freshmen may have more, which remains to be seen.

 

[Carnac]

I want to clarify a sentence (in bold) in an earlier post in case it may have been misunderstood...........

Geno has managed a short bench before. If that short bench was not critical to their success in their first 12 games, I think Geno can manage with a short bench for the last 6 at the end of the year. Bent and Irwin really need to make that HS to college transition THIS year. If they don't, they may find themselves on the end of the bench depth wise next year.

It appears to me that they are/will be role players. I doubt either of them will ever become starters. We need role players, everyone can not be a starter. The 2017 freshmen will come in and have to make the same adjustments they do. This will be the only chance they'll have of maintaining their pecking order on the bench. When next year's crop of freshmen come in, they should be sitting behind Bent & Irwin on the depth chart to begin the season. If not, they may find themselves gradually inching their way in the wrong direction on the bench.

When one finds him/her self buried on the end of the bench, it's almost impossible to work your way back up. You have to beat out too many other players. Next year, there should be 14 players on roster for UConn.
That means 9 players on the bench. If you've on the end, you've got 7-8 other potential subs Geno can choose from in front of you. Good luck getting on the floor.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Geno will have no concerns next year. The short bench was part bad luck of people not panning out. Ekmark, Boykin and Edwards.

And recruits who got away, like A'ja Wilson, Brianna Turner, and Lauren Cox.

 

[MilfordHusky]

A few thoughts:

We've had scoring-challenged bench play in several years. Some years were not so bad, some were pretty bad. It's a matter of degree, but it's nothing new. In some cases, it's a lack of chemistry and/or a lack of willing shooter.

Next year will be interesting. While the frosh may be more talented than Molly and Kyla, they will be farther down on the learning curve. Will talent or familiarity and preparation win out? I think the answer is more complicated than some folks think.

Molly gets more PT than Kyla and, in my view, plays better. Both will get more PT in conference play. Neither is likely to play much starting in the NCAA Regionals.

In the UCF game, Saniya made 2 terrible passes in a row. Both led to layups for UCF. Crystal also made a bad one and didn't watch the clock at the end of Q2. Geno called timeout to get her attention. Crystal is having ups and downs, but she is tough and talented. Geno has talked often about how good she can be. He wants her to play harder and be more focused. Recall that it took Lou about 20 games last year for things to kick in. Stewie was on a similar timeline.

I'm not sure who will be playing in "garbage time" next year, but scoring should come much more easily. Lexi, Andi, Mikayla, and Megan can fill it up.

 

[Gus Mahler]

I agree, but one of my favorite aspects of her game is her willingness to make the extra pass. She's just as happy to get an assist as she is to score, and that's invaluable. We saw it - I think twice, though it may only have been once - against UCF when the announcers said that she could have shot and easily made (as she was wide open) the basket but instead chose to pass it to Saniya. Alas, I do hope she looks to score more.

I'll agree with you as long as Kia continues to pass the ball to Saniya.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Different circumstances but both players had adequate opportunity to earn playing time.
D'Janae left the program on December 15th that was 11 full games into UCONN's season. Plenty of close games at ND and Depaul, Florida State. But there were also plenty of blowouts Kansas State + 40, tOSU + 44, Nebraska +42 and ample opportunity for D'Janae to earn playing time- I though there was talk that her hand may have not been completely healed from HS injury. Similar Situation for Sadie who was gone by Christmas time also 11 games into the season. Close games against Stanford and ND and blowouts against UC Davis, Charleston +61.

I also remember it that DJB's hand was yet unhealed when she arrived on campus, but she also reportedly developed a sore Achilles, which I understand takes a long time to heal.

I suspect, though, that neither was ultimately a determinant in her leaving.