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Packed with Talent

psconn

psconn

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Well, Geno has taken on a new challenge in his life. Not only will he have the fun of working with a group of really talented kids, he will have to manage expectations and playing time for them. If he is able to keep this group together and happy for the next four or five years that might be his greatest achievement given the modern WCBB scene where transfers run rampant.

Of course, they will all have to live up to their (or should I say our) expectations...

It's going to be a fun half decade being bad for women's basketball again.
 
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psconn said:
Playing time is going to be very tough to come by for some darned good players. If Evina stays, 7 guards not counting Autumn in 2021-2022. Yikes!
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Lot's of full court pressing and switching out to keep them fresh.
 
Do you think South Carolina 20201 commits are better than ours because they are ranked 2,3, and 4, or were their rankings inflated a bit due to covid pandemic.
 
in the 2013-2014 season Geno used 9 players vs duke, just shows if you work hard Geno will find you time on the court. Also Stokes who was a career bench player was drafted and has been able to stick in the pros, or a player like Nurse who was never an All American was drafted and had a great rookie season in the W, if you have talent it doesn't matter if Uconn is loaded you will find success in basketball here.
 
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bluedevil said:
Who did he/she play for?.. :rolleyes:
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From WHAT DID HE SAY? Confucius says: "By nature, men are nearly alike; it is by custom and habit that they are set apart." "When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them." You've probably heard his name or seen it linked to sayings on miniature scrolls in fortune cookies.
 
NYCHUSKIES said:
Do you think South Carolina 20201 commits are better than ours because they are ranked 2,3, and 4, or were their rankings inflated a bit due to covid pandemic.
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There are a lot of knowledgeable posters on here who follow the H/S players a lot which I guess is why you have asked the question here. For me, I haven't seen many videos of the 2021 players. But I can add this; Potentially a number 1 "superstar" recruit can make an "average" class seem tremendous. Think of the class UCONN had with Maya Moore and Lorin Dixon. It was sensational. Who was better than that "class?"

Rivers from SC is supposedly sensational as well. I guess it depends how close the 2/3/4 are to Azzi and how close the other UCONN recruits are to 2/3/4. But the point is - if there is a good-size separation between Azzi and the next players - that means a ton imo. Superstars control the games.

So my 1st viewing will be to try to see the separation (if any_ between Azzi and all other players in her class. OFC there are also "rising" superstars that few predict. For me Ducharme seems extremely interesting. And form what I've read Saylor's ratings only dropped because of her surgery.

Equally SC posters on here have raved about a PF currently on their team (last year she was a frosh but didn't play much) who has had knee issues but they expect she is now 100% or near it and claim she was actually the best before her injuries. If she lives up to her hype made by some posters here along with Boston/Cooke/Beal - then they can possibly make their 2021 class appear stronger. OFC same with UCONN. In 2021 - we're now "loaded" and the word "loaded" doesn't do justice to that terminology.
 
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NYCHUSKIES said:
Do you think South Carolina 20201 commits are better than ours because they are ranked 2,3, and 4, or were their rankings inflated a bit due to covid pandemic.
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I wouldn't trade our kids for theirs. The latest HG rankings don't match the consensus rankings. I think we have, perhaps by far, the best recruiting group in terms of consensus rankings. I think Rivers will be really good, sort of like Jewell Loyd. I think she's easily their best player.
 
In terms of the roster size ...

What have been our biggest concerns, at least since Stewie left? Lack of size, and lack of depth. Geno has addressed them.

We may have 15 players next year, but keep in mind that injuries are part of the game.

In addition, the following players are eligible to leave for the W after 3 seasons at UConn: Evina, Paige, Azzi, Caroline, Nika, and Anna. Having a bigger roster is a good insurance policy against early departures.

I like having a bigger roster more than having a smaller roster. :)
 
MilfordHusky said:
In terms of the roster size ...

What have been our biggest concerns, at least since Stewie left? Lack of size, and lack of depth. Geno has addressed them.

I like having a bigger roster more than having a smaller roster. :)
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IMO also big concern was lack of super guard play. In all but one of UCONN's titles, they had a super A/A caliber guard.

In 16-17 vs Miss State - Kia Nurse and CDanger shot a combined 2-9 from the floor scoring 7 points with 2 assists and 5 turnovers.

In 17-18 vs ND - Kia Nurse and CDanger shot a combined 7-24 from the floor scoring 18 points with 6 assists and 5 turnovers.

In 18-19 vs ND UCONN was beaten basically by 5 players. UCONN did get whipped badly on the boards but also their 5 players all scored in double figures while one of UCONN's 5- CDanger - scored 4 points and was 2-11 from the floor.

Now that UCONN has Paige and Azzi - bench or no bench-- he has addressed the super guard issue too.
 
MilfordHusky said:
In terms of the roster size ...

What have been our biggest concerns, at least since Stewie left? Lack of size, and lack of depth. Geno has addressed them.
Expand ...

Upcoming classes need more athleticism, toughness, and aggression. SC has the kind of athletes that disrupt and intimidate. UConn could use a couple more to counter.
 
Ozimoto said:
Well, Geno has taken on a new challenge in his life. Not only will he have the fun of working with a group of really talented kids, he will have to manage expectations and playing time for them. If he is able to keep this group together and happy for the next four or five years that might be his greatest achievement given the modern WCBB scene where transfers run rampant.

Of course, they will all have to live up to their (or should I say our) expectations...

It's going to be a fun half decade being bad for women's basketball again.
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I know you’re kinda kidding, but the talent is a little deeper in WCBB than when UConn went through the Maya and even the more recent Stewie era. But it would be fun to beat the carp of even the best of this era. Some of us are old enough to become US President, so an NC this year before the new class enters next year would be appreciated.
 
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MSGRET said:
Lot's of full court pressing and switching out to keep them fresh.
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This may be a necessity to avoid more transfers than otherwise might occur. Next year with 15, and maybe only one (Autumn) who could be content with being mostly a practice player, it is reasonable to expect multiple transfers.

These recruits may or may not be willing to accept second unit status, third string is almost out of the question. What happened with Megan's class is possible, although I think Megan's class was weak overall nationally.

To keep a big roster intact you need a rotation in the big games that is closer to 10 than 7-8. Minutes for your very best players (who should also be pressing, not just the second unit) should be closer to 25 than 35, and in the blowout games the last 5 minutes or so should go to the third string.

I think at least before injuries or transfers, we have a roster that could do very well with that. It also helps that we have a number of players versatile enough to play multiple positions.

This year I expect a rotation in the big games more like 8, but am hoping for more. Next year after all the competition, suppose for the sake of argument your third string consisted of Mir, Saylor, Piath and Autumn, assuming Westbrook departs. Three of those four we get get at least somewhat of a reading on this year.

Assuming they show something, even in limited minutes, I would feel confident that next year, a full court press and fast breaking offense most of the time, not just as a surprise could make sense. Almost every team we played would be gassed by the fourth quarter. It would force them to play their bench more, and I suspect that our bench would exceed other team's benches by a margin significantly better than our starters vs their starters.

I would like to see more of the press this year, and go full steam ahead on it next year, and hopefully with minutes distributed over far more players, we can keep one or two that might have otherwise transferred.
 
Go/huskies said:
in the 2013-2014 season Geno used 9 players vs duke, just shows if you work hard Geno will find you time on the court. Also Stokes who was a career bench player was drafted and has been able to stick in the pros, or a player like Nurse who was never an All American was drafted and had a great rookie season in the W, if you have talent it doesn't matter if Uconn is loaded you will find success in basketball here.
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Sometimes players succeed after Uconn without Geno giving them time. I find it a little hard to believe, but didn't Camara and Evelyn get offers in Europe? On the 16 championship team the number 8 and 9 players got either a taste of the WNBA (Chong) or drafted (Butler). I think we can safely say that being a bench player on a great team with tons of media exposure, does not hurt your WNBA possibilities. They know that Uconn usually has some very good bench players that could be putting up big numbers elsewhere.
 
MSGRET said:
Lot's of full court pressing and switching out to keep them fresh.
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Exactly! Watch the rotations. Maybe not 40 minutes of hell for our opponents but certainly enough of it. Geno has plenty of friends who coach in the NBE so he will probably go man to man and run the offense for the full shot clock after the 11 player press has done its work. 16 days left and counting.
 
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