Projecting Gabby

[JavaMan]

Gabby Williams came to UConn as a guard but saw more time as a forward in her first season in Storrs. As a freshman, she played in 38 games, averaging 8.3 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 63.7 from the field — by far the best mark on the team. On top of that, she averaged 14.7 rebounds per 40 minutes, which is the best rate by a freshman in UConn history. As she told Jim Fuller of the New Haven Register: “Pretty much every time I go in, the first thing Coach says to me is to rebound everything.” Though she came off the bench and ranked eighth in minutes played per game (15.6), that was enough for her to be named conference freshman of the week three times.

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One way to tell how scary UConn will be this year is to look at Williams’ freshman campaign and realize she will probably again play the role of sixth player. The Huskies return four starters from last year’s team and freshman Katie Lou Samuelson or incoming transfer Natalie Butler will likely take that fifth spot. So that leaves Williams as the first one off the bench to come in and “rebound everything.”

[MORE]

 

[EricLA]

I do love reading stuff about our Huskies, but to mention DJB ("who is quite the rebounder") as a player who could take minutes away from Gabby is just incorrect. First, Boykin is injured. Second, if Williams is trying to expand her game and become more of a forward/wing/guard, she's competing more against Collier. No mention of Napheesa as possibly the 5th starter - only Butler and Samuelson.

Time will tell of course, but IMHO Collier is more college ready than Samuelson. Not saying Collier is or will be better, but no one will out work her, that's for sure. What a great "problem" for Geno to have!

 

[alexrgct]

So, we have the projected rotation of Stewie, Mo, uck, Nurse, plus probably Butler because of the specific, unique attributes she brings. Next, Gabby, KLS, and Napheesa are absolutely in the rotation, and Chong will be as well. It's just up to Courtney to make the steps forward I'm sure she'll make, and of course the DJB question Eric just raised.

I cannot wait to see this depth in action. We haven't had a team like this since 2000-01. Of course, that season was railroaded by injuries, but we don't have the same injury-prone senior superstars. I honestly believe Stewie and Mo are more likely to stay healthy than Svet and Shea. Not trying to jinx anybody, but...
at
In any event, this team should be a real treat for WCBB and fans of UConn in particular.

 

[UcMiami]

That is actually an interesting new site for Uconn fans - they have a bunch of preview posts for the WCBB players - posted so far Collier, Samuelson, Butler, Boykin, Chong, Tuck as well as Williams. Worth asking to the list of links pinned on the board.

 

[JavaMan]

That is actually an interesting new site for Uconn fans - they have a bunch of preview posts for the WCBB players - posted so far Collier, Samuelson, Butler, Boykin, Chong, Tuck as well as Williams. Worth asking to the list of links pinned on the board.

Gabby Williams: http://wbb.adimeback.com/player-preview-gabby-williams/
Saniya Chong: http://wbb.adimeback.com/player-preview-saniya-chong/
Morgan Tuck: http://wbb.adimeback.com/player-preview-morgan-tuck/
Natalie Butler: http://wbb.adimeback.com/player-preview-natalie-butler/
Courtney Ekmark: http://wbb.adimeback.com/player-preview-courtney-ekmark/
Napheesa Collier: http://wbb.adimeback.com/player-preview-napheesa-collier/
DeJanae Boykin: http://wbb.adimeback.com/player-preview-dejanae-boykin/
Natalie Butler: http://wbb.adimeback.com/player-preview-natalie-butler/
Katie Lou Samuelson: http://wbb.adimeback.com/player-preview-katie-lou-samuelson/
Courtney Ekmark: http://wbb.adimeback.com/player-preview-courtney-ekmark/

 

[Kibitzer]

I got curious and accessed the linked article, which led me to a critique of a stupid article by Colin McEnroe in The Courant, in which he reportedly compared Geno's recent Podcast interview with the actions of some lout named Gatti, who reportedly slugged a young woman in a cafeteria. Disgusting.

It got curiouser and curiouser. Yet another link to a blog by Ally Auriemma, who defended Dad fiercely and lovingly while performing a thorough hatchet job on fellow journalist McEnroe and the assaulter, Gatti.

Great job, Ally.

 

[MumboJumbo]

That is actually an interesting new site for Uconn fans - they have a bunch of preview posts for the WCBB players - posted so far Collier, Samuelson, Butler, Boykin, Chong, Tuck as well as Williams. Worth asking to the list of links pinned on the board.

Love the coverage, but not sure how knowledgeable these folks are. They predicted KLS scoring 21.3 ppg this season. Stewie will probably not score that much; this team is just too balanced. Also predicted Collier only playing 9 mpg.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

this team should be a real treat for WCBB

More of a "treatment" I think, hope alex.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I do love reading stuff about our Huskies, but to mention DJB ("who is quite the rebounder") as a player who could take minutes away from Gabby is just incorrect. First, Boykin is injured. Second, if Williams is trying to expand her game and become more of a forward/wing/guard, she's competing more against Collier. No mention of Napheesa as possibly the 5th starter - only Butler and Samuelson.

Time will tell of course, but IMHO Collier is more college ready than Samuelson. Not saying Collier is or will be better, but no one will out work her, that's for sure. What a great "problem" for Geno to have!

I agree of the incoming freshmen, IM(not so humble)O, I too believe Collier is the most ready for Big time. In terms of Boykin, I sincerely hope she shall recover quickly and fully. Gabby in my (again) opinion has the potential to be very very good, maybe great--but she entered the off season with some skills missing--if she has obtained those skills she can an will (IMO) be a force for the Frosh to contend with---after all she has one year of Geno and playing time under her belt--something that will take the Frosh most of the year to obtain, same goes for Chong and Ekmark.
I am very high on Butler taking a significant chunk of Starting time.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I got curious and accessed the linked article, which led me to a critique of a stupid article by Colin McEnroe in The Courant, in which he reportedly compared Geno's recent Podcast interview with the actions of some lout named Gatti, who reportedly slugged a young woman in a cafeteria. Disgusting.

It got curiouser and curiouser. Yet another link to a blog by Ally Auriemma, who defended Dad fiercely and lovingly while performing a thorough hatchet job on fellow journalist McEnroe and the assaulter, Gatti.

Great job, Ally.

Gatti was probably trying to live up (or down) to the family name when he went off in the Cafe. Geno however has 30 years on him and maybe should have known with the "Correct" police he'd be raked over the coals, whether the raking was justified is for the individual to determine within their own value system.

 

[Bigpetunia]

I predict that Gabby and Kia will be the two most improved players on the team, and that Napheesa will be a high impact player right out of the gate. I also tend to think that once the team gets past the first few games, Geno will find that he would prefer to see Natalie come off the bench, early and often, in a role similar to Khia's last year. I just think he loves the up-tempo transition game so much (and why not?) that he'll want his fastest, most athletic players on the floor to start, and then bring in the big intimidating post presence in a bit later. We'll see, but I personally expect big things from Gabby's game

 

[Kibitzer]

That is actually an interesting new site for Uconn fans - they have a bunch of preview posts for the WCBB players - posted so far Collier, Samuelson, Butler, Boykin, Chong, Tuck as well as Williams. Worth asking to the list of links pinned on the board.

It is highly unlikely that everyone would grant 100% agreement with their evaluations. For example they projected minutes, points, rebounds, and all that stat stuff, but didn't project what I consider most important: Who will be the badasses?!

But I thought that the predictions were pretty darn good, though short of Boneyard perfection. A good start.

 

[BroadwayVa]

It is highly unlikely that everyone would grant 100% agreement with their evaluations. For example they projected minutes, points, rebounds, and all that stat stuff, but didn't project what I consider most important: Who will be the badasses?!

But I thought that the predictions were pretty darn good, though short of Boneyard perfection. A good start.

I for one don't discuss Tuck in these who shall start discussions because she belongs in the Kia, Stewie, Jefferson category--in my less than humble opinion. In speaking of Bad ASSES---there are no tougher, hard nosed players than Kia and Tuck. I have hopes for Collier in that regard.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Love the coverage, but not sure how knowledgeable these folks are. They predicted KLS scoring 21.3 ppg this season. Stewie will probably not score that much; this team is just too balanced. Also predicted Collier only playing 9 mpg.

Hopefully we shall see KLS hit 20 points or more against the ACC--love to see it against OHIO. But to average 21.3 point per game--wow is that predicting?? The 9 minutes per game over the first 20 maybe, for Collier I can't disagree, but my expectations/hopes are she shall in the stretch and the run for the next NC I expect more for her. AS you know all bets are off once the season starts and Geno works his magic.

 

[DaddyChoc]

you guys are totally outta the loop if you don't know the story on Gatti...

 

[rvwsleep]

you guys are totally outta the loop if you don't know the story on Gatti...

Why not provide some info instead of castigating fellow Boneyarders ?

Gatti link below.
http://www.courant.com/breaking-new...se-no-longer-student-1022-20151021-story.html

 

[Buzzyboy]

So, we have the projected rotation of Stewie, Mo, uck, Nurse, plus probably Butler because of the specific, unique attributes she brings. Next, Gabby, KLS, and Napheesa are absolutely in the rotation, and Chong will be as well. It's just up to Courtney to make the steps forward I'm sure she'll make, and of course the DJB question Eric just raised.

I cannot wait to see this depth in action. We haven't had a team like this since 2000-01. Of course, that season was railroaded by injuries, but we don't have the same injury-prone senior superstars. I honestly believe Stewie and Mo are more likely to stay healthy than Svet and Shea. Not trying to jinx anybody, but...I
at
In any event, this team should be a real treat for WCBB and fans of UConn in particular.

Svet's injury was totally unexpected but Shea had a history of ACL issues, mainly because of the way she ran and the pressure she put on her knees. She had a bigger body and ran a bit awkwardly and that certainly contributed to her unfortunate ACL issues throughout her time in Storrs. I agree there it is far less likely that one of our seniors will have any sort of "normal" injury though anyone and everyone potentially could have broken bones as a result of a bad fall while in the air or a horrific concussion, as well. These are not as likely, thankfully! I'm thinking we'll have a reasonably healthy roster all year long!

 

[DaddyChoc]

Why not provide some info instead of castigating fellow Boneyarders ?

Gatti link below.
http://www.courant.com/breaking-new...se-no-longer-student-1022-20151021-story.html

That's what I got you for... thanks! They could have done their own research instead of creating their own facts

 

[Buzzyboy]

I for one don't discuss Tuck in these who shall start discussions because she belongs in the Kia, Stewie, Jefferson category--in my less than humble opinion. In speaking of Bad ASSES---there are no tougher, hard nosed players than Kia and Tuck. I have hopes for Collier in that regard.

I don't think there's any argument about the likelihood that Collier is tough and hard nosed. Every video clip I've seen of her seems to display that toughness. She is one gifted young woman and I'm hopeful we'll see a lot of that from KLS as well. I am so pumped up to see her play and see what she can do to open up the interior with her long range bombing along with her outstanding midrange game. She may be the best shooter to ever don a UConn uniform. She may have a bit of a learning curve but I can't imagine her not being a key contributor on this team. With as many options as UConn has at other positions, KLS will be a nightmare for our opponents.

 

[rs2905]

Why not provide some info instead of castigating fellow Boneyarders ?

Gatti link below.
http://www.courant.com/breaking-new...se-no-longer-student-1022-20151021-story.html

Here's our Gatti story, if anyone is interested:

http://adimeback.com/i-have-questions-local-buffoon-wants-mac-and-cheese-we-want-answers/

 

[DaddyChoc]

Is the 10 minute video included... not his apology

 

[rvwsleep]

That's what I got you for... thanks! They could have done their own research instead of creating their own facts

You're welcome. It was the least I could do.

 

[Buzzyboy]

I predict that Gabby and Kia will be the two most improved players on the team, and that Napheesa will be a high impact player right out of the gate. I also tend to think that once the team gets past the first few games, Geno will find that he would prefer to see Natalie come off the bench, early and often, in a role similar to Khia's last year. I just think he loves the up-tempo transition game so much (and why not?) that he'll want his fastest, most athletic players on the floor to start, and then bring in the big intimidating post presence in a bit later. We'll see, but I personally expect big things from Gabby's game

I don't agree that there will be that big a growth from either Kia or Gabby. They'll be improved, I'm sure but not to the extent that you'll see from Courtney. They had already played quite well, as freshman and unless Gabby is consistently throwing down 18 foot jump shots and scoring at will, her growth won't have been THAT BIG! Kia similarly showed toughness and shot the ball reasonably well while playing good solid defense. How much better can she get in those areas??? Meanwhile Courtney struggled, maybe as a direct result of her injury and never shot the ball anywhere the way you'd have expected considering what we'd seen in video clips and also based on remarks by Geno prior to her injury. Healthy again and with a year under her belt, learning the UConn system and in the best health of her life, she will probably easily exceed what we saw of her last year where her game results were lacking the expectations of most Boneyarders prior to the start of last season. Courtney easily has the best chance of radically improving on her contributions from last year. I also think that though Geno might occasionally want a quicker lineup, hence starting Gabby inside, he primarily will be playing Butler in the post. Not having seen Butler play, why is it that most Boneyarders seem to be dismissive of her ability to really be a big factor and a nice mismatch for our Huskies against almost anyone??? Big East freshman of the year and a double double player with a year of development under Geno with a year in our weight room, playing against some of the best interior players in the country day after day in practice and working with Chris Daily and you don't think she's capable of being a beast in the interior??? No way she isn't the starter this year.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Gabby Williams: http://wbb.adimeback.com/player-preview-gabby-williams/
Saniya Chong: http://wbb.adimeback.com/player-preview-saniya-chong/
Morgan Tuck: http://wbb.adimeback.com/player-preview-morgan-tuck/
Natalie Butler: http://wbb.adimeback.com/player-preview-natalie-butler/
Courtney Ekmark: http://wbb.adimeback.com/player-preview-courtney-ekmark/
Napheesa Collier: http://wbb.adimeback.com/player-preview-napheesa-collier/
DeJanae Boykin: http://wbb.adimeback.com/player-preview-dejanae-boykin/
Natalie Butler: http://wbb.adimeback.com/player-preview-natalie-butler/
Katie Lou Samuelson: http://wbb.adimeback.com/player-preview-katie-lou-samuelson/
Courtney Ekmark: http://wbb.adimeback.com/player-preview-courtney-ekmark/

I don't agree with Natalie Butler's minutes nor do I agree with her shooting percentage. I can't imagine her not having a appreciably higher shooting percentage unless she plays with a broken hand. She's going to be getting the ball in the low post and within 5 feet of the basket and unless the Big East was the absolute worst league in the country the year after UConn left, she'll easily exceed 50% from the field. I can't imagine why Geno wouldn't want to have a big interior an appreciable amount of the time because against most opponents that will be a big advantage and allow Stewie to move freely in the interior, thus making her more effective.

 

[Carnac]

I do love reading stuff about our Huskies, but to mention DJB ("who is quite the rebounder") as a player who could take minutes away from Gabby is just incorrect. First, Boykin is injured. Second, if Williams is trying to expand her game and become more of a forward/wing/guard, she's competing more against Collier. No mention of Napheesa as possibly the 5th starter - only Butler and Samuelson.

Time will tell of course, but IMHO Collier is more college ready than Samuelson. Not saying Collier is or will be better, but no one will out work her, that's for sure. What a great "problem" for Geno to have!

IMHO, I think the only other player who might become that 5th starter (other than Butler) is Collier. They'll BOTH be starters for sure next year.

Which one Geno chooses depends on the attributes he wants his starting unit to have. I don't think he could lose with either one. I think BOTH of them could start for most other programs.