Pregame presser, and some questions if I may ...

[scrooster]

How many McDonald's All-Americans do y'all have on the roster that will be taking the court tonight?

We keep hearing y'all have more (McD's AAs) than do we, but no one knows for sure.

We have four ... (6'5" PF) A'ja Wilson, (6'4" C) Duckett, 5'6" PG) Cuevas and (6'4" C) Coates plus we have the SEC PotY in Mitchell (not a Micky-D's AA) who may be the best player on the court tonight, although it may not show if Geno defends her the way I think he'll approach defending her.

Also, they are saying that this is the first time in 14 years that a #1 will be visiting Storrs ... was Tennessee not #1 at least once at your place since then?

 

[HoopsFan21]

I think most of the Tennessee games were played in Hartford.

 

[scrooster]

Promotional banner being circulated all over Twitter and Instagram ...

 

[scrooster]

I think most of the Tennessee games were played in Hartford.

Oh heck ... why isn't this one being played in Hartford? I didn't even think about that. I guess I just assumed y'all always played your women's games in Storrs.

 

[MuchoDogYears]

I think that the front courts and back courts are evenly matched in this game. No advantage either way. I'm looking for a close game. The X factor that'll swing it UConn's way will be KML. If she plays like she usually does in big games, she'll be the difference that USC has no matching answer for. UConn by 8 on a neutral court, but being at Gampel, UConn by 13.

 

[Pastahusky98]

How many McDonald's All-Americans do y'all have on the roster that will be taking the court tonight?

We keep hearing y'all have more (McD's AAs) than do we, but no one knows for sure.

We have four ... (6'5" PF) A'ja Wilson, (6'4" C) Duckett, 5'6" PG) Cuevas and (6'4" C) Coates plus we have the SEC PotY in Mitchell (not a Micky-D's AA) who may be the best player on the court tonight, although it may not show if Geno defends her the way I think he'll approach defending her.

Also, they are saying that this is the first time in 14 years that a #1 will be visiting Storrs ... was Tennessee not #1 at least once at your place since then?

Our mcdonalds all Americans include Breanna Stewart, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Moriah Jefferson, Morgan Tuck, Kiah Stokes, and Gabby Williams. So 6 in total.

 

[scrooster]

I think that the front courts and back courts are evenly matched in this game. No advantage either way. I'm looking for a close game. The X factor that'll swing it UConn's way will be KML. If she plays like she usually does in big games, she'll be the difference that USC has no matching answer for. UConn by 8 on a neutral court, but being at Gampel, UConn by 13.

Your avatar ... one of my favorite movies - Slap Shot - with the Hanson Brothers.

Do y'all have no McDonald's All-Americans on this year's team or something?

"KML," ... is that #23 5-11 forward, Lewis?

 

[scrooster]

Our mcdonalds all Americans include Breanna Stewart, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Moriah Jefferson, Morgan Tuck, Kiah Stokes, and Gabby Williams. So 6 in total.

Gotcha ... there ya go. Thank you. So six - okay then. That makes sense. So y'all actually have, on paper at least, a far more talented team than do we.

 

[Farney]

Our mcdonalds all Americans include Breanna Stewart, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Moriah Jefferson, Morgan Tuck, Kiah Stokes, and Gabby Williams. So 6 in total.

Should be noted that Nurse wasn't eligible (Canadian) and Ekmark didn't play as a senior so she wasn't eligible either (not that I'm certain she'd have been a McD).

 

[scrooster]

Should be noted that Nurse wasn't eligible (Canadian) and Ekmark didn't play as a senior so she wasn't eligible either (not that I'm certain she'd have been a McD).

So y'all do recruit Canada? That was my next question because Dawn has the #1 player in Canada, a PG, committed for next season and she'll likely be our only signee in this class because we're so young ... unless she finds a really good big girl in JuCo somewhere.

So Canada must produce some good players? That's good to know.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Oh heck ... why isn't this one being played in Hartford? I didn't even think about that. I guess I just assumed y'all always played your women's games in Storrs.

They don't play many games in Storrs (on campus). I think 5 games this year? The rest of the "home" games are in Hartford, Bridgeport, or Mohegan Sun.

 

[HoopsHoppy]

How many McDonald's All-Americans do y'all have on the roster that will be taking the court tonight?

My count is six:

2011 - KML and Stokes
2012 - Jefferson, Stewart, Tuck
2014 - Williams

But don't worry, it will only seem like there are more than five on the court at one time

 

[Pastahusky98]

So y'all do recruit Canada? That was my next question because Dawn has the #1 player in Canada, a PG, committed for next season and she'll likely be our only signee in this class because we're so young ... unless she finds a really good big girl in JuCo somewhere.

So Canada must produce some good players? That's good to know.

Take our Canadian freshman pg Kia Nurse, for example. She starts and she averages over 11 points per game and shoots over 46% on threes. She was not highly recruited nor highly regarded coming out of high school until Geno took interest in her. She's turning out to be a steal. Foreign players come with a certain level of discipline and can impact american teams greatly. Recruiting foreign players is risky, but you may have yourself a hidden gem next year, similar to Nurse for us this year.

 

[CL82]

?

Hey is that your girls tracking salt all over our practice court? So that's how it is?

 

[j66kicker]

Gotcha ... there ya go. Thank you. So six - okay then. That makes sense. So y'all actually have, on paper at least, a far more talented team than do we.

Not only on paper. I mean, just FYI, so you won't be too surprised....

 

[meyers7]

How many McDonald's All-Americans do y'all have on the roster that will be taking the court tonight?

We keep hearing y'all have more (McD's AAs) than do we, but no one knows for sure.

We know for sure.

So y'all actually have, on paper at least, a far more talented team than do we.

To say the least.

6 McD AA's (Stokes, KML, Stewart, Tuck, Jefferson, Williams) (had 8, but 2 transferred - Banks, Edwards) vs 4 for SC (Coates, Wilson, White, Cuevas, 3 of which are Freshmen ). As some one noted, Nurse and Ekmark were not eligible or UCONN 'might' have more. UCONN will also be adding 3 McD AAs next year.

Also 2 HS NPOYs (KML, Stewart) vs 1 for SC (Wilson)

Also we have 2 College AA's (KML, Stewart) vs 1 for SC (Mitchell)

Also have 1 NPOY (Stewart) vs 0 for SC.


BUT Stanford only had 3 McD AA's, so who knows. Ronald don't know everything.

 

[EricSD]

Take our Canadian freshman pg Kia Nurse, for example. She starts and she averages over 11 points per game and shoots over 46% on threes. She was not highly recruited nor highly regarded coming out of high school until Geno took interest in her. She's turning out to be a steal. Foreign players come with a certain level of discipline and can impact american teams greatly. Recruiting foreign players is risky, but you may have yourself a hidden gem next year, similar to Nurse for us this year.

I'm not sure this is true. It was widely acknowledged that she was the top recruit in Canada, but honestly I don't recall why there weren't at least 50 teams after her. Given her performances on the Canadian National team at such a young age, several of us on the BY said she was a top 5 recruit in her class.

 

[EricSD]

Gotcha ... there ya go. Thank you. So six - okay then. That makes sense. So y'all actually have, on paper at least, a far more talented team than do we.

I guess that depends. If you ONLY go by high school accolades, then yeah I guess so. But Angel McCaughtry was ranked outside the top 75 in high school, and Alaina Beard was somewhere around 40 according to at least 1 high school service. On the flip side Ariel Massengale was a top 5 kid coming out of HS and now as a senior she comes off the bench. And yet Jasmine Jones is a starter as a junior and a 40-something 4-star rated recruit coming out of HS...

My point is high school accolades don't always translate to college success, and vice versa. I would think that eventually you would want to look at the NCAA AA lists to determine on paper who has the better team.

 

[Pastahusky98]

I'm not sure this is true. It was widely acknowledged that she was the top recruit in Canada, but honestly I don't recall why there weren't at least 50 teams after her. Given her performances on the Canadian National team at such a young age, several of us on the BY said she was a top 5 recruit in her class.

I took into the account that she didn't even appear on the hoopgurlz list of top 100 players coming out of high school until she was already signed by Geno. Shortly after she signed, I believe she was #32 out of 100 on the hoopgurlz list. While us UCONN fans realized her potential and knew that she was going to be special someday, it appeared as though she wasn't getting much credit or respect and should have been much higher on the list.

 

[scrooster]

Take our Canadian freshman pg Kia Nurse, for example. She starts and she averages over 11 points per game and shoots over 46% on threes. She was not highly recruited nor highly regarded coming out of high school until Geno took interest in her. She's turning out to be a steal. Foreign players come with a certain level of discipline and can impact american teams greatly. Recruiting foreign players is risky, but you may have yourself a hidden gem next year, similar to Nurse for us this year.

Thanks for that outstanding reply!

 

[mysticmajor]

I took into the account that she didn't even appear on the hoopgurlz list of top 100 players coming out of high school until she was already signed by Geno. Shortly after she signed, I believe she was #32 out of 100 on the hoopgurlz list. While us UCONN fans realized her potential and knew that she was going to be special someday, it appeared as though she wasn't getting much credit or respect and should have been much higher on the list.

I'm not sure that one would see the maturity of play that Nurse has in any other Canadian player as a Freshman. I think she was underestimated, but the huge disparity is due in large part to her unique experience of playing with and against pro players all summer. Kia took the opportunity given and worked to maximize the impact to her game. She is one very intense player!

 

[Zorro]

AND, we have the cutest tenth man in wcbb; Briana Pulido. And probably the only second-degree black belt walk on in wcbb, Tierney Lawler. We are LOADED, any way you look at it!!

 

[Zorro]

Question; why are Wilson and Cuevas not starting?

 

[scrooster]

Question; why are Wilson and Cuevas not starting?

They never do ... they come off the bench, as does McD's AA Coates. We're just so deep and talented the Micky D's AAs can break into the starting lineup.

But their day will come. They are unselfish and patient.

 

[scrooster]

I'm not sure that one would see the maturity of play that Nurse has in any other Canadian player as a Freshman. I think she was underestimated, but the huge disparity is due in large part to her unique experience of playing with and against pro players all summer. Kia took the opportunity given and worked to maximize the impact to her game. She is one very intense player!

Check-out Canada's National Player of the Year, this year, already committed to Dawn Staley and The Gamecocks. She has good lineage ... but I'm sure she will not be as mature as your Kanuck. http://www.bramptonbasketball.com/brampton-lady-warrior-shay-colley-says-yes-to-south-carolina/

 

[mysticmajor]

Check-out Canada's National Player of the Year, this year, already committed to Dawn Staley and The Gamecocks. She has good lineage ... but I'm sure she will not be as mature as your Kanuck. http://www.bramptonbasketball.com/brampton-lady-warrior-shay-colley-says-yes-to-south-carolina/

Will do. She may be a stellar player. I'm just saying that the circumstances were perfect for Kia, in particular, to experience accelerated improvement. Hard worker, willingness to learn, and great competitive experiences.

 

[HuskyNan]

Check-out Canada's National Player of the Year, this year, already committed to Dawn Staley and The Gamecocks. She has good lineage ... but I'm sure she will not be as mature as your Kanuck. http://www.bramptonbasketball.com/brampton-lady-warrior-shay-colley-says-yes-to-south-carolina/

Could you please tell me who ranks Canadian players? I'm trying to see where Kia Nurse was ranked and can't find any info on who does the rankings up there.

 

[scrooster]

Could you please tell me who ranks Canadian players? I'm trying to see where Kia Nurse was ranked and can't find any info on who does the rankings up there.

We were going by ESPN Canada rankings when she committed. They may have those older rankings still up ... I dunno.

There is also another website, hold on, lemme see if I can find it.

I think it was basketball.ca ... their files are in PDF, but give it a try. http://www.basketball.ca/files/Colley,_Shay_updated_Aug_2014.pdf