No Red Shirts this season

[Tonyc]

With just 4 starters and two graduating next season and possibly Tuck UConn could be left next season with one starter. Kia Nurse. For the first time in years UConn may not have an experienced nucleus of upper classman leading the way for next season. There is a good chance there will not be the team chemistry and leadership we have seen in previous seasons. So the coaching staff has made the necessary adjustments to compensate for that. They are playing the non starters with a lot of minutes and they are practicing them together. This will have them ready for this season and the future.

We saw a few games ago Saniya leading a group of underclassman. Apparently they had been practicing together and looked good that nite. However sickness and injuries has prevented us from seeing them play together in a real game. Smart move by Geno and the coaching staff getting them prepared by playing them together. By doing so they are developing their own chemistry and that nite they played together they impressed everybody. Something to look forward to for the rest of the season.

UConns non starters need playtime and theyre getting it. That is imperative for this season and next. Katie Lou and Ek need to get their shot back. We have rebounding in Butler Gabby and Collier. We have good guards in Kia and Saniya. We need to get everybody healthy and that doesn't mean playing them before they are 100% because we cant afford any one of them getting sick or injured and missing anymore time.

So Butler cant red shirt unless she is hurt and cant play. Boykin I don't know enough about. I hope she can get her grades up and get healthy because we will need her. Do we need a 5th starter. Yes but not really. We have our big 3 in Stewie Mojeff and Tuck. These 3 can carry UConn so long as they remain healthy this season. As far as scoring and winning by 30+ every game. Well we can put that to sleep for now because we need our non starters to play, gain experience, learn to play together, and most importantly my 3 C's... gain confidence, continuity and chemistry. UConn has the talent and the coaching but as of right now they don't have the experience and by playing the non starters they will.

Tuck is a leader and can help carry this team again next season . If she graduates then it looks like the coaches have the team prepared either way. This is why Butler can not red shirt. She needs to play, gain experience and be ready for next season. All the practice in the world can not substitute for playing in an actual game. I know some of you are concerned about the future with Stewie and Mojeff graduating. Well the coaching staff is one step ahead by having those kids coming back next season ready. This is why Geno is a genius. He sees the future before it happens and he's ready for it.

 

[ctkaiser]

With just 4 starters and two graduating next season and possibly Tuck UConn could be left next season with one starter. Kia Nurse. For the first time in years UConn may not have an experienced nucleus of upper classman leading the way for next season. There is a good chance there will not be the team chemistry and leadership we have seen in previous seasons. So the coaching staff has made the necessary adjustments to compensate for that. They are playing the non starters with a lot of minutes and they are practicing them together. This will have them ready for this season and the future.

We saw a few games ago Saniya leading a group of underclassman. Apparently they had been practicing together and looked good that nite. However sickness and injuries has prevented us from seeing them play together in a real game. Smart move by Geno and the coaching staff getting them prepared by playing them together. By doing so they are developing their own chemistry and that nite they played together they impressed everybody. Something to look forward to for the rest of the season.

UConns non starters need playtime and theyre getting it. That is imperative for this season and next. Katie Lou and Ek need to get their shot back. We have rebounding in Butler Gabby and Collier. We have good guards in Kia and Saniya. We need to get everybody healthy and that doesn't mean playing them before they are 100% because we cant afford any one of them getting sick or injured and missing anymore time.

So Butler cant red shirt unless she is hurt and cant play. Boykin I don't know enough about. I hope she can get her grades up and get healthy because we will need her. Do we need a 5th starter. Yes but not really. We have our big 3 in Stewie Mojeff and Tuck. These 3 can carry UConn so long as they remain healthy this season. As far as scoring and winning by 30+ every game. Well we can put that to sleep for now because we need our non starters to play, gain experience, learn to play together, and most importantly my 3 C's... gain confidence, continuity and chemistry. UConn has the talent and the coaching but as of right now they don't have the experience and by playing the non starters they will.

Tuck is a leader and can help carry this team again next season . If she graduates then it looks like the coaches have the team prepared either way. This is why Butler can not red shirt. She needs to play, gain experience and be ready for next season. All the practice in the world can not substitute for playing in an actual game. I know some of you are concerned about the future with Stewie and Mojeff graduating. Well the coaching staff is one step ahead by having those kids coming back next season ready. This is why Geno is a genius. He sees the future before it happens and he's ready for it.

Tony I think you have the coaching staff's thinking figured out on this plan. Now if the players can get healthy and get some playing time things can take shape on the floor. This out of conference schedule has been tough. Probably tougher then I thought it would be. When we start playing conference games it should actually be easier to get the players like Butler and Boykin some PT.

 

[Goodgood]

We are playing with just 4 starters? No wonder teams are hanging around longer!

 

[Aluminny69]

Let's see, UConn graduated Hartley and Dolson, two All Americans, and continued to be successful. Then, they graduated Lewis and Stokes, one AA and one solid rebounder/blocker, and look to be successful again this year. So, graduating Stewart and Jefferson just continues the pattern. How many other programs could graduate that many AA and continue to be successful? Well first, no other program has that many AAs, so no one to compare to.....

 

[stamfordhusky]

So Butler cant red shirt unless she is hurt and cant play.

It's very unlikely that Butler would be granted a redshirt year even if she is hurt and can't play. Unusual to be granted a 6th year when one of the missed years was due to a player's own decision to transfer.

In any event, I think it's unlikely that she won't be playing within the next few weeks.

 

[Sonny44]

Good post Tony.

 

[trisailin]

[Tonyc said:] With just 4 starters and two graduating next season and possibly Tuck UConn could be left next season with one starter....

[Goodgood said:]We are playing with just 4 starters? No wonder teams are hanging around longer!

What is more scary is next year when we'll have only one starter. Talk about making changes to try to implement parity!!!

 

[meyers7]

Let's see, UConn graduated Hartley and Dolson, two All Americans, and continued to be successful. Then, they graduated Lewis and Stokes, one AA and one solid rebounder/blocker, and look to be successful again this year. So, graduating Stewart and Jefferson just continues the pattern. How many other programs could graduate that many AA and continue to be successful? Well first, no other program has that many AAs, so no one to compare to.....

Losing Stewart and Jefferson is gonna be a bit different than previous years. It's gonna be a big drop off. Losing a couple AA's is different than losing a NPOY and runner up NPOY.

 

[meyers7]

No Red Shirts this season

Thank goodness.

 

[Huskylove3]

It's very unlikely that Butler would be granted a redshirt year even if she is hurt and can't play. Unusual to be granted a 6th year when one of the missed years was due to a player's own decision to transfer.

In any event, I think it's unlikely that she won't be playing within the next few weeks.

Michala Johnson was granted a 6th year due to an ACL tear in her 5th year. She transferred from UCONN to Wisconsin after her sophmore year. It's unusual but it's been done.

I think she'll play within the next few weeks as well!

 

[UcMiami]

Michala Johnson was granted a 6th year due to an ACL tear in her 5th year. She transferred from UCONN to Wisconsin after her sophmore year. It's unusual but it's been done.

I think she'll play within the next few weeks as well!

It has been granted with some frequency in those special circumstances in which players are forced to miss multiple years (especially full years.) I think the NCAA is aware of the PR value of allowing students to continue being students. They are fairly rare circumstances.

Like ND has shown over the past 5 years and (Uconn over the past 20), a well coached team with solid returning talent can thrive quite well even with significant losses. If Tuck chooses to return, she would certainly provide solid leadership, but even without her, there is a lot of talent returning, and between Chong and Butler, two senior (academically) players.

 

[WestCoastFan]

We are playing with just 4 starters? No wonder teams are hanging around longer!

No kidding...I think you figured out at huge problem, Gg.

 

[WestCoastFan]

Thank goodness.

Wait a second, M7...Don't the Gunners wear red??

 

[huskyd]

It has been granted with some frequency in those special circumstances in which players are forced to miss multiple years (especially full years.) I think the NCAA is aware of the PR value of allowing students to continue being students. They are fairly rare circumstances.

Like ND has shown over the past 5 years and (Uconn over the past 20), a well coached team with solid returning talent can thrive quite well even with significant losses. If Tuck chooses to return, she would certainly provide solid leadership, but even without her, there is a lot of talent returning, and between Chong and Butler, two senior (academically) players.

Good analogy to ND, UcM. But maybe a better analogy is UConn to UConn. After Geno had subbed most of the starters out of the FSU game, one announcer noted that the Huskies were playing just as smoothly as with the starters. Rebecca Lobo commented that it's because of the UConn "culture." Hey, it's a TEAM sport, baby.

 

[EricLA]

Michala Johnson was granted a 6th year due to an ACL tear in her 5th year. She transferred from UCONN to Wisconsin after her sophmore year. It's unusual but it's been done.

I think she'll play within the next few weeks as well!

I will borrower something that was said by another poster last week (I forget who). Butler should not play until she can clap with both hands. In other words, when we see her on the bench clapping with both hands, not clapping by hitting her arm with her good hand, then she should be cleared to play.

I can't imagine that clapping is more "physical" than grabbing, rebounding, pushing, etc. in a game. She needs both hands to be able to play. It may sound pesky, but I see why she's been held out so far... I hope to see her after the holidays...

 

[meyers7]

Wait a second, M7...Don't the Gunners wear red??

Not always.

 

[WestCoastFan]

Not always.

Notice they won a cup...finally...wearing something other than red. Hmmmmmmm...

 

[WestCoastFan]

I will borrower something that was said by another poster last week (I forget who). Butler should not play until she can clap with both hands. In other words, when we see her on the bench clapping with both hands, not clapping by hitting her arm with her good hand, then she should be cleared to play.

I can't imagine that clapping is more "physical" than grabbing, rebounding, pushing, etc. in a game. She needs both hands to be able to play. It may sound pesky, but I see why she's been held out so far... I hope to see her after the holidays...

Hopefully we will.

 

[meyers7]

Notice they won a cup...finally...wearing something other than red. Hmmmmmmm...

They won it the year before....in red.

 

[ChicagoGG]

Thank goodness.

The wrong color uni is always a big giveaway....