Serah Williams to LSU? | Page 4 | The Boneyard

Serah Williams to LSU?

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Charliebball said:
Tony, who's to say that players all left their teams because of playing time ... (Serah) can play the four or the five and offers the consistent offense, defense and rebounding that UConn has not been getting from Ice or Jana.....a front court of Sarah, Serah and Blanca would be quite something to watch.......
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i'm not targeting you, charlie, but am puzzled by repeated comments by many who apparently totally ignored ice and jana's perfomances in the great 8 and beyond. they weren't scorers, for sure, (maybe paige sarah azzi kaitlyn's outputs offset that) but ice and jana gave the team just what was needed -- good play off the glass and some outstanding defense against the 'terrifying' bigs who surely were gonna doom uconn's hopes beyond the elite 8. .... ha ha ha to all those scaredy cats. it's past time that you give some respect to our 'bigs.' serah probably would fit in well for a year.
 
PacoSwede said:
i'm not targeting you, charlie, but am puzzled by repeated comments by many who apparently totally ignored ice and jana's perfomances in the great 8 and beyond. they weren't scorers, for sure, (maybe paige sarah azzi kaitlyn's outputs offset that) but ice and jana gave the team just what was needed -- good play off the glass and some outstanding defense against the 'terrifying' bigs who surely were gonna doom uconn's hopes beyond the elite 8. .... ha ha ha to all those scaredy cats. it's past time that you give some respect to our 'bigs.' serah probably would fit in well for a year.
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I've been very supportive of both Ice and Jana during the season as you would see if you went back and checked my posts from that time......I'd like to think that they will both show major improvement in their play next season........that said when the opportunity arises to attain a proven 6'4" 4/5 with really solid offensive and defensive skills you grab her........if Serah does choose UConn I can see a rotating front line of Sarah, Serah, Jana, Blanca, and hopefully Caroline and Ayanna too........that's a lot of size and talent that will be needed next season against the likes of South Carolina and others......
 
Charliebball said:
..if Serah does choose UConn I can see a rotating front line of Sarah, Serah, Jana, Blanca, and hopefully Caroline and Ayanna too........that's a lot of size and talent that will be needed next season against the likes of South Carolina and others...
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I agree with almost everything you say here. I’d only change the bold phrase from “will be needed” to “will come in very handy,” or even “will make the task a lot easier” next season.
 
Forego said:
Jerzy Robinson 2026 recruiting thread post by SluConn shows Geno in Phoenix attending EYBL this weekend. If he is there it is unlikely that Serah is visiting UConn this weekend.
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I had heard something about the visit being the begining of this coming week.
 
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Charliebball said:
I've been very supportive of both Ice and Jana during the season as you would see if you went back and checked my posts from that time......I'd like to think that they will both show major improvement in their play next season........that said when the opportunity arises to attain a proven 6'4" 4/5 with really solid offensive and defensive skills you grab her........if Serah does choose UConn I can see a rotating front line of Sarah, Serah, Jana, Blanca, and hopefully Caroline and Ayanna too........that's a lot of size and talent that will be needed next season against the likes of South Carolina and others......
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I think you put a good perspective on this debate. I think some here automatically react negatively to anything suggesting we need to replace, or upgrade, or recruit over an existing player. When you have a championship contender pretty much every player in the rotation is above average, at least by division 1 standards, and that includes Ice, and Jana, but the standards at Uconn and our most serious challengers are very high.

If you are going for a championship pretty good may be a relative weakness compared to the other great teams, and going from pretty good to great might be the difference maker. If Ice and Jana are say a 7 and Serah would be a 9 or 10 then going after her is a no brainer IMO. Remember some of the bigs Uconn has had coming off the bench at least for a year or two, KIa Stokes, Pheesa, Azura, Gabby etc.

Pretty good as a starter on a contender is a relative weakness, and pretty good off the bench is just passable not a plus for a contender. We all have our visions of what would be ideal. Mine is Williams starting at the 5, and with Sarah consuming 60 of the 80 minutes upfront, Blanca being a star in her first year at the 3, and KK being the worst of our 5 starters, but still quite good. Then hoping that among the many candidates a few join Ashlynn as star level bench players.
 
oldhusky said:
I think you put a good perspective on this debate.
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I’m not sure it even is a debate, since all sides seem to agree that getting Serah is a good idea. Sure, there’s reason to think recruiting transfers over an existing lineup of high school recruits could hurt morale. But Serah will probably have minimal impact there, just as Kaitlyn didn’t either. I say sign her up if she’s willing, but don’t be surprised if she turns out to be merely a valuable role player in Geno’s schemes.

On the other hand, we’ve all been treated to the spectacle of overstocked teams like UCLA and USC losing most of their rising sophomores to the portal. Talk of reloading being a necessity merely because other teams appear to be doing it can hardly fail to appear blind to the reality Geno and Paige just showed us.

Beers was last year’s necessity and looking back on it now I’m glad Geno didn’t sign her even if he could have. All of us were surprised when the only portal addition he made was an Ivy League guard — how did that solve the gaping holes in the lineup? — and yet no one would question the wisdom of that choice now.

This is the only reason I resist saying that Geno needs to add someone. He saw a path to an NC more clearly than any of us did. And that path didn’t require the necessity so many of us were certain of.
 
Bone Dog said:
I’m not sure it even is a debate, since all sides seem to agree that getting Serah is a good idea. Sure, there’s reason to think recruiting transfers over an existing lineup of high school recruits could hurt morale. But Serah will probably have minimal impact there, just as Kaitlyn didn’t either. I say sign her up if she’s willing, but don’t be surprised if she turns out to be merely a valuable role player in Geno’s schemes.

On the other hand, we’ve all been treated to the spectacle of overstocked teams like UCLA and USC losing most of their rising sophomores to the portal. Talk of reloading being a necessity merely because other teams appear to be doing it can hardly fail to appear blind to the reality Geno and Paige just showed us.

Beers was last year’s necessity and looking back on it now I’m glad Geno didn’t sign her even if he could have. All of us were surprised when the only portal addition he made was an Ivy League guard — how did that solve the gaping holes in the lineup? — and yet no one would question the wisdom of that choice now.

This is the only reason I resist saying that Geno needs to add someone. He saw a path to an NC more clearly than any of us did. And that path didn’t require the necessity so many of us were certain of.
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Geno approaches the transfer portal much differently than most any other HC. It starts by keeping the majority of the key rotational players on his existing roster.

Subsequently, Geno is very picky about bringing in any transfers. He is looking for intelligent, talented, team-oriented individuals who will complement UConn’s existing roster.

Over the past 5 seasons, UConn has brought in 4 transfers: Evina, Dorka, Lou & Kaitlyn. 3 of the 4 had already completed their undergraduate degree. All were stars on their respective teams, and all accepted supporting roles at UConn.

As a result, UConn has a far easier time integrating a single transfer into an already solid rotation than teams that are making wholesale changes to their roster year after year.
 
Bone Dog said:
I’m not sure it even is a debate, since all sides seem to agree that getting Serah is a good idea. Sure, there’s reason to think recruiting transfers over an existing lineup of high school recruits could hurt morale. But Serah will probably have minimal impact there, just as Kaitlyn didn’t either. I say sign her up if she’s willing, but don’t be surprised if she turns out to be merely a valuable role player in Geno’s schemes.

On the other hand, we’ve all been treated to the spectacle of overstocked teams like UCLA and USC losing most of their rising sophomores to the portal. Talk of reloading being a necessity merely because other teams appear to be doing it can hardly fail to appear blind to the reality Geno and Paige just showed us.

Beers was last year’s necessity and looking back on it now I’m glad Geno didn’t sign her even if he could have. All of us were surprised when the only portal addition he made was an Ivy League guard — how did that solve the gaping holes in the lineup? — and yet no one would question the wisdom of that choice now.

This is the only reason I resist saying that Geno needs to add someone. He saw a path to an NC more clearly than any of us did. And that path didn’t require the necessity so many of us were certain of.
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I was very much in favor of Chen's transfer to UConn as a stabilizing and experienced force despite the depth of the roster at the time.......I see the very same thing with Serah Williams and next year's team.........
 
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Everyone here talking about how adding a player like Williams can increase our odds of #13. And I agree, she absolutely will. I also look at it from another additional perspective...it decreases the odds for LSU to take that #13 from us. Whatever you think of Mulkey, she has shown that with the talent, she can win it all, and they are putting together a lot of talent so far.
 
We cannot underestimate the loss of Paige (20 points and leadership) and Kaitlyn (experience, poise and BB IQ). Given that Azzi will either equal or better her production and that Sarah will do the same, how does Geno make up the difference? Will the candidates for the post step up? Should we expect more out of KK and Ash? Or is there help coming from the portal like in each of the past few years?
 
ERWUC65 said:
We cannot underestimate the loss of Paige (20 points and leadership) and Kaitlyn (experience, poise and BB IQ). Given that Azzi will either equal or better her production and that Sarah will do the same, how does Geno make up the difference? Will the candidates for the post step up? Should we expect more out of KK and Ash? Or is there help coming from the portal like in each of the past few years?
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Maybe all of the above….
 
Bone Dog said:
I’m not sure it even is a debate, since all sides seem to agree that getting Serah is a good idea. Sure, there’s reason to think recruiting transfers over an existing lineup of high school recruits could hurt morale. But Serah will probably have minimal impact there, just as Kaitlyn didn’t either. I say sign her up if she’s willing, but don’t be surprised if she turns out to be merely a valuable role player in Geno’s schemes.

On the other hand, we’ve all been treated to the spectacle of overstocked teams like UCLA and USC losing most of their rising sophomores to the portal. Talk of reloading being a necessity merely because other teams appear to be doing it can hardly fail to appear blind to the reality Geno and Paige just showed us.

Beers was last year’s necessity and looking back on it now I’m glad Geno didn’t sign her even if he could have. All of us were surprised when the only portal addition he made was an Ivy League guard — how did that solve the gaping holes in the lineup? — and yet no one would question the wisdom of that choice now.

This is the only reason I resist saying that Geno needs to add someone. He saw a path to an NC more clearly than any of us did. And that path didn’t require the necessity so many of us were certain of.
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And Geno saw that path in dominating fashion also. I don’t think any of us saw UConn beating UCLA by 34 and being up on SC by 30 with 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter. Pure domination. Brilliant!
 
ERWUC65 said:
We cannot underestimate the loss of Paige (20 points and leadership) and Kaitlyn (experience, poise and BB IQ). Given that Azzi will either equal or better her production and that Sarah will do the same, how does Geno make up the difference? Will the candidates for the post step up? Should we expect more out of KK and Ash? Or is there help coming from the portal like in each of the past few years?
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I think we will get more out of KK. She made a big sophomore leap in my opinion. She was a menace to the other team during the tournament and put up some really good offense. Ash, though very good defensively, still struggles with consistency in her offense. I suspect she will be better this season.

As for Serah, she would be a great addition. As would Heckel from USC. Heckel and KK would be a great in and out of rotation similar to KK and KC.
 
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Azzi will be replacing the 20 ppg that Paige was averaging. Sarah will be the second 20 ppg scorer. That right now is our main offense. Ashlynn and KK have to score close to double figures per game. Then 20 points from the rest of the players. That’s 80 a game.
 
Azzi, Shade, Kk, Ziebell, Ducharme,
Strong, El AlFy, Brady, Cheli, Patterson
Add Fisher, Malloy-Manuel, and Quinonez. I would suspect that Jana, Ice, Cheli and Ziebell will be looking for significantly more playing time next year. Hopefully Patterson will be finally healthy and ready to be a significant contributor. I am sure Quinonez and Fisher did come here to ride the bench either. UConn doesn’t really have room to add anyone. IMO, UConn should just dance with the girls they brought to the dance and not go looking for anyone new.
 
There has been a lot of talk about NIL and LSU with regard to Serah, but she's Canadian. Have the rules changed?
 
Especially when you get to the NCAA tournament, you need 3 scoring options as your opponents will take out your option A and mostly your option B. UConn won the championship because no one could stop the 3 superstars of UConn playing at peak performance. At this point, UConn got only 2 proven 20 points scorers. While we can expect Shade to show an increase in scoring and hopefully Jana, Bianca and KK can average close to or more than 10 pt. each, UConn needs that 3rd threat and that is what (Hopefully) Serah can provide. Will UConn be a top 4 team without Serah? Sure (as long as there are no major injuries to any of the core players)! with Serah, UConn is a top 2 team (with SC).
 
If we land Serah, which would be awesome, it is going to be a process of that player, the coaching staff, and the team, adjusting and finding their groove within the team concept and having that mindset to embrace that role. Somebody posted Serah's stat line Impressive as they are, we know she may or may not put up those numbers at UConn. I will use Dorka for an example. At Ohio State, she put up some decent numbers. Her first year with us, it was a struggle. Her Ohio State numbers did not meet what Coach Auriemma, or a lot of fans, had in mind. It took a minute for her to find her groove. Much like Chen this season and Lou a few seasons before and with Lou, who knows what would have happened if we had a healthy and complete roster. The bottom line, adding Serah, her numbers/minutes may or may not help. A lot will depend on the rest of the team and that player's ability to embrace their role on the team.
 
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ConnMotors said:
Azzi will be replacing the 20 ppg that Paige was averaging. Sarah will be the second 20 ppg scorer. That right now is our main offense. Ashlynn and KK have to score close to double figures per game. Then 20 points from the rest of the players. That’s 80 a game.
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Replacing Paige's scoring is the easiest part of replacing someone like Paige. She is one of those very rare players that elevates everyone around her by her words and actions. At this time I don't see anyone on the team that is ready to fill those shoes.
 
psconn said:
Replacing Paige's scoring is the easiest part of replacing someone like Paige. She is one of those very rare players that elevates everyone around her by her words and actions. At this time I don't see anyone on the team that is ready to fill those shoes.
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I agree. I think KK has leadership qualities, but her leadership style is closer to Nika than to Paige. I can easily see Sarah quickly growing into a leadership role, but again the style will be completely different.
 
oldude said:
Serah was born in Brooklyn, NY and moved to Canada as a teenager. She’s about as Canadian as the Brooklyn Bridge.
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It's amazing how this continues to come up regarding Williams. She represented the USA last summer as part of the 3x3 U23 program. Trust me, if Canada Basketball could have found a way to add her to their development pool, they would have done so a long time ago. ;)
 
I'm sure multiple other people have made the joke, but all I can say is that I'd like her on the team for the puns.

"How'd we manage to beat a ranked team by 30?"
"Oh, you know. Our post duo. Que Sarah Serah."
 
CTBballfan243 said:
Azzi, Shade, Kk, Ziebell, Ducharme,
Strong, El AlFy, Brady, Cheli, Patterson
Add Fisher, Malloy-Manuel, and Quinonez. I would suspect that Jana, Ice, Cheli and Ziebell will be looking for significantly more playing time next year. Hopefully Patterson will be finally healthy and ready to be a significant contributor. I am sure Quinonez and Fisher did come here to ride the bench either. UConn doesn’t really have room to add anyone. IMO, UConn should just dance with the girls they brought to the dance and not go looking for anyone new.
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3 players coming off major injuries, 3 incoming freshman, inconsistent play from the post, questions at PG, loss of 25-30 ppg from the 3 departing seniors and we should just go with what we got?
 
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