Returners, newcomers fighting for minutes on deep, talented team | Page 8 | The Boneyard

Returners, newcomers fighting for minutes on deep, talented team

CocoHusky

1,000,001 BY points
Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Messages
17,208
Reaction Score
73,885
Coco- you’re losing credibility.
JMHO
:eek: I'm not sure you can lose something you never had-with this crowd.
Hilary Duff I Dont Care GIF by TV Land
 

CocoHusky

1,000,001 BY points
Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Messages
17,208
Reaction Score
73,885
That is, with qualifications, a valid point. However, I think it's more subtle than the dichotomy that you have described.

Suppose that Liv were talented and productive at an AA level, but still foul-prone? That would limit her minutes despite her productivity, and would provide minutes for Dorka or someone like her.

Or what if Liv were not foul-prone and was performing at an AA level on both offense and defense, but was limited in her (reliable) shooting range? In other words, what if she could score reliably within 5 feet of the basket, but still could not sink longer shots at any reasonable percentage? That, too, would open up minutes for a player such as Dorka.

Or, what if Liv were AA in every dimension and not foul prone, but Aaliyah remained (or remains) foul prone. That scenario would open up minutes for Dorka and Liv to play together. If it turns out (which I doubt) that Dorka is as strong a rebounder as Aaliyah and is as quick running the floor, that may happen anyway.

If I were Dorka, I think I would be confident enough of my own abilities to believe that I could get my minutes irrespective of the level of competition on the team. So I would still come to UConn if the opportunity beckoned.
Almost in universal agreement with you @JoePgh. Keep in mind that Dorka played against UCONN in both her freshman and sophomore seasons while at Ohio State. Dorka knew what UCONN was about and could have transferred to UCONN after her freshman season when she would have almost certainly been a starter at PF. UCONN starter at PF during those seasons were Megan Walker and Anna Makurat- both of who are better suited to play the S/F position. My point is that as much as it seems like the sky is falling, with UCONN returning two bigs (Liv and Aaliyah) this season provides the least opportunity for Dorka to get minutes than at any time since she started playing college basketball.
 

oldude

bamboo lover
Joined
Nov 15, 2016
Messages
16,734
Reaction Score
147,323
Let me make one more comment about the SC game and who played well and who didn’t. SC is a really good defensive team that gives everyone they play trouble. In the national semifinal vs Stanford, Jones absolutely carried Stanford, much as Paige carried the Huskies against SC. Wilson, Smith, both Hull sisters & Belibi were a combined 8 for 37 (22%).

One of the things Geno always harps on is that if a player is not scoring, they need to contribute in other ways. That’s exactly what Liv did. It wasn’t her best game, but she absolutely found ways to contribute to help her team win the game.
 
Joined
Jan 16, 2018
Messages
2,744
Reaction Score
13,972
If you were talking about 10 years ago, I would agree with you. But the game is changing and so is Geno. SC & Stanford both have loaded and deep rosters.

Geno made a conscious effort to sign more players bringing in transfers like Nat, Z, Touly, Evelyn & Dorka. He also started recruiting foreign players, something he had done only rarely before, with Kia, Anna, Evelyn, Nika, Aaliyah & Dorka.

Geno used to bring in maybe 3 recruits per year. Last year he brought in 6. This year he brought in another 4 plus a transfer. He has 15 scholarships available. If Anna had not decided to turn pro, he would have filled every single one this year, the same as Tara & Dawn.
I attribute that to him being a visionary coach. He sees what is happening in the game and that depth matters over a long season and competing with teams who can just keep throwing bodies at his players. He is adapting and that is what winners do.

I think he would also say he learned from a couple rough recruiting classes where plan A didn't work out and he had no plan B....
 

CocoHusky

1,000,001 BY points
Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Messages
17,208
Reaction Score
73,885
I attribute that to him being a visionary coach. He sees what is happening in the game and that depth matters over a long season and competing with teams who can just keep throwing bodies at his players. He is adapting and that is what winners do.
I think he would also say he learned from a couple rough recruiting classes where plan A didn't work out and he had no plan B....
:eek: Is that really visionary though?
Seems rather obvious-if you can score go ahead and score. When or if you are not scoring there other things you can do to help your team out like not repeatedly making silly fouls.
 
Joined
Jan 16, 2018
Messages
2,744
Reaction Score
13,972
:eek: Is that really visionary though?
Seems rather obvious-if you can score go ahead and score. When or if you are not scoring there other things you can do to help your team out like not repeatedly making silly fouls.
Sorry but you conflated two different issues. My comment was about recruiting bigger numbers than usual.
 
Joined
Aug 8, 2013
Messages
2,453
Reaction Score
12,852
You would think one bad call would have been enough to learn from and not repeat for a Junior UCONN player?
Pretty hard to instantly stop doing something you have trained your muscles to do over a long period of time!
 
Joined
Mar 18, 2021
Messages
1,413
Reaction Score
6,159
You would think one bad call would have been enough to learn from and not repeat for a Junior UCONN player?
This comment is reflective of someone whose competitive experiences are limited to the High School Chess Club.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that...
 

CocoHusky

1,000,001 BY points
Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Messages
17,208
Reaction Score
73,885
This comment is reflective of someone whose competitive experiences are limited to the High School Chess Club.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that...
Nah.. @Stymie I didn't have time to be on the High School chess club. I was too busy playing all four sports. In HS basketball I was lucky enough to be coached by Geno. My competitive experiences were far from limited. Yours?
 

oldude

bamboo lover
Joined
Nov 15, 2016
Messages
16,734
Reaction Score
147,323
Nah.. @Stymie I didn't have time to be on the High School chess club. I was too busy playing all four sports. In HS basketball I was lucky enough to be coached by Geno. My competitive experiences were far from limited. Yours?
So you played at Kenrick?
 

CocoHusky

1,000,001 BY points
Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Messages
17,208
Reaction Score
73,885
Pretty hard to instantly stop doing something you have trained your muscles to do over a long period of time!
The staff is not asking Liv to stop instantly- the staff has been asking Liv for 3 years now and it's about to be four years.
 

CocoHusky

1,000,001 BY points
Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Messages
17,208
Reaction Score
73,885
Yes of course. I understand the diocese has a shiny new HS now in place of the merged Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic.
Not sure the rest of the board is as curious and interested as you are, if you want to know more hit my inbox,.
 

oldude

bamboo lover
Joined
Nov 15, 2016
Messages
16,734
Reaction Score
147,323
Not sure the rest of the board is as curious and interested as you are, if you want to know more hit my inbox,.
That’s OK. I’m sure the change doesn’t sit well with you. My HS is still around, but I was PO’d that they changed the mascot.
 

Online statistics

Members online
507
Guests online
3,191
Total visitors
3,698

Forum statistics

Threads
155,761
Messages
4,030,709
Members
9,864
Latest member
leepaul


Top Bottom