Starting Lineup

[DEpup]

Didn't I read somewhere--here, undoubtedly--that a part of Notre Dame's game plan against UConn in the semis was to make Husky players dribble the ball because the Irish didn't believe UConn had an abundance of players who could create their own shot? And isn't CW a player who can do just that? Maybe that's a factor?

I don't disagree with you. Thinking about Bird, DT, and Maya in the G/SF mold who can just throw a shot up from anywhere and make it hasn't been around for awhile. For as good as KLS is, she has shown that she can be bothered if you invade her space unlike the aforementioned greats. I'm really looking for KLS to get beyond that tendency. If she does, #12 is in the bag in my opinion.

 

[Carnac]

Didn't I read somewhere--here, undoubtedly--that a part of Notre Dame's game plan against UConn in the semis was to make Husky players dribble the ball because the Irish didn't believe UConn had an abundance of players who could create their own shot? And isn't CW a player who can do just that? Maybe that's a factor?

If the 5 starters consist of Lou, Pheesa, Crystal, Megan and Christyn, Lou would be the only one that can't consistently create her own shot. That's 4/5, I'll take that. Lou does not have to create her shot. As the designated 3 pt specialist, she'll set up her office behind the arc, and get fed (the ball) like she's Ezekial Elliott........and make it rain!!

 

[DEpup]

If the 5 starters consist of Lou, Pheesa, Crystal, Megan and Christyn, Lou would be the only one that can't consistently create her own shot. That's 4/5, I'll take that. Lou does not have to create her shot. As the designated 3 pt specialist, she'll set up her office behind the arc, and get fed (the ball) like she's Ezekial Elliott...and make it rain!!

I just feel like KLS has to get beyond just being a 3pt shooter for them to win #12.

 

[DEpup]

I just feel like KLS has to get beyond just being a 3pt shooter for them to win #12.

I don't count Pheesa in this because she has to be fed the ball down low in order to get her shot. It's different in my mind than the traditional thought of create your own shot away from the basket.

 

[Carnac]

I just feel like KLS has to get beyond just being a 3pt shooter for them to win #12.

She will. She'll be all over the place. She's a tough match up for anyone. She can handle the ball. She brings it up on occasion. She was a guard / forward in high school.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I just feel like KLS has to get beyond just being a 3pt shooter for them to win #12.

She has been more than that for the past 2 years.

 

[MilfordHusky]

The lineup may be small, but Pheesa, Megan, and Christyn all have long arms and play bigger than they are. Christyn is one of the best rebounding guards I've seen. She has hops, strength, and a good sense of anticipation. I'm excited about seeing them in a few weeks.

 

[j66kicker]

Here’s a new Courant article:

Mike Anthony: Napheesa Collier, Katie Lou Samuelson And Crystal Dangerfield Are UConn's Core Of Answers

The final paragraph:

“Collier, Samuelson and Dangerfield will be joined in the starting lineup by Megan Walker, a sophomore forward who couldn’t assert herself last season, and freshman guard Christyn Williams, who, like Walker the year before, was the consensus top high school recruit in the nation.“

I think it sounds authoritative because it’s a no-brainer. Seriously, who else is really going to start?

 

[UConnCat]

She has been more than that for the past 2 years.

That’s right. In the past 2 seasons 52-55% of Lou’s shots were from beyond the arc. We need Lou and Pheesa to take more shots this season.

 

[meyers7]

This thread is giving me a Groundhog Day vibe. But there is no Andy McDowell to ease the pain.

To ease your pain.

 

[Bama fan]

To ease your pain.

Thanks for the analgesic, Meyers!

 

[oldude]

Megan has the potential to replace Gabby quite nicely. She is strong, athletic, a solid rebounder, and capable of taking over a game on offense with her ability to drive to the basket and, unlike Gabby, she can knock down 3's. While Megan is not the defensive player that Gabby was, yet, I believe it's just a matter of time before she becomes a force on the defensive end.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Megan has the potential to replace Gabby quite nicely. She is strong, athletic, a solid rebounder, and capable of taking over a game on offense with her ability to drive to the basket and, unlike Gabby, she can knock down 3's. While Megan is not the defensive player that Gabby was, yet, I believe it's just a matter of time before she becomes a force on the defensive end.

Gabby was an elite high jumper. Megan is more of a traditional basketball player who is also a physical specimen (think Maya or Tina). Gabby's talents are unique. Meg has more basketball experience at a comparable age. While Gabby sat out most of two high school seasons due to injury, Meg led her team to 3 straight Virginia championships. Though Meg was tentative last year, she is inherently more aggressive offensively than Gabby. I don't expect Meg to be the passer that Gabby became or the DPOY, but she should be a solid rebounder, especially for her size, and an aggressive scorer. In short, I don't expect Meg to be another Gabby, but she is as good an option as I can think of to fill the void created by Gabby's departure. Megatron!

 

[VAMike23]

Gabby was an elite high jumper. Megan is more of a traditional basketball player who is also a physical specimen (think Maya or Tina). Gabby's talents are unique. Meg has more basketball experience at a comparable age. While Gabby sat out most of two high school seasons due to injury, Meg led her team to 3 straight Virginia championships. Though Meg was tentative last year, she is inherently more aggressive offensively than Gabby. I don't expect Meg to be the passer that Gabby became or the DPOY, but she should be a solid rebounder, especially for her size, and an aggressive scorer. In short, I don't expect Meg to be another Gabby, but she is as good an option as I can think of to fill the void created by Gabby's departure. Megatron!

Meg's rebounding will be a Key_Success_Factor for this team. This year's crew will be in constant motion even more than the average UCONN team, but with CD, CW and Lou on the floor, Meg will spend plenty of time around the basket. Lots of boards for her to fight for. Fortunately, I think she is a very good rebounder for her size, if not elite like Gabby, as you point out. More like Tiffany Hayes, but bigger and stronger. Not quite as quick, but still quick. I agree, she's the one that will need to contribute most to filling the Gabby void. Defensive rebounding overall might actually be THE #1 key for this team, because without it our transition game is nada and without that we won't have the kind of success this squad is capable of.

On offense, Meg has got to be able to make herself a target and convert buckets in the same vein as Collier. Not expecting her to be as good as Napheesa was her soph year, just saying we will need her to provide a similar midrange and postup threat receiving the ball. (Heck, the same is also true for Lou, since there promises to be a lot of hi-lo rotation this year, with the small squad and with Lou now a pretty polished all-court player--not just a perimeter one. We will have to continue to exploit smaller guards defending her.) It's just that we can't let defenses collapse too much around Collier when she's low -- Meg has got to be a threat in the interior as well. GA sounds very positive so far, and working with Napheesa and Alex in the off-season must have paid some pretty big dividends. Fingers crossed!

This should be a really fun group to watch. More 'small ball' for us! Granted, no Gabby and Kia this time so there's a lot of defensive challenges as we're already hearing. But on the offensive side, we could be more potent than the 2016-17 group was as a unit, at least once CWilliams gets her sea legs.

Obviously I haven't mentioned ONO - I see her as a wild card that could tip the balance for us by late March....but until then I'll just have my popcorn out, watching how she progresses. Her roommate, on the other hand, will probably start producing for us sooner rather than later.

 

[BostonFan]

From everything I've seen and read, CW has to be in the starting lineup. She's the next big star at Uconn, and could turn out to be the best player on this year's team.

 

[MilfordHusky]

From everything I've seen and read, CW has to be in the starting lineup. She's the next big star at Uconn, and could turn out to be the best player on this year's team.

If the Legend is better than Lou, we should have a fabulous season. I'd take anything close to that.

 

[Carnac]

If the Legend is better than Lou, we should have a fabulous season. I'd take anything close to that.

I like the moniker (the legend) that Christyn has garnered, even though she has yet to play a single minute of basketball for UConn. To be honest, I don’t think they’re being presumptuous, but that remains to be seen. Everything she’s done thus far, points in that direction. Legends are not just good, they’re like Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, they’re great!! She’s got to be great for 4 years. I agree with Geno and other posters here that say that she is not your average freshman.

By the time Williams has graduated, she and her play may very well be legendary.

 

[hoopsfan22]

I'm going with Crystal Dangerfield, Williams, KLS, Megan, and Collier. Bent nor Kyla will start. Neither will Lexi. BatCam and Coombs are coming off injuries, and ONO is gonna need to be brought along a little more slowly I think.

 

[eebmg]

I like the moniker (the legend) that Christyn has garnered, even though she has yet to play a single minute of basketball for UConn. To be honest, I don’t think we’re being presumptuous in using it. Everything she’s done thus far, points in that direction. I agree with Geno and other posters here that say that she is not your average freshman.

By the time Williams has graduated, she and her play will be legendary.

Got to say, I dislike the 'legend' moniker because of the extra adverse pressure it could have above playing on the biggest pressure cooker in WCBB. Yes I know pressure can be good and I am okay with some pressure mechanisms such as the Team Goal statement that UConn will win and everyone will feel us. That is a statement of team confidence (as well as what she can bring) that should and will be shared by the team. And Stewie's 4 peat is in that category.

When she first spoke about her goals at UConn, she said she wanted to be legendary and that is great since it is a career goal but I wish the 'legend' moniker would just quietly fade away until she gets her first AA. By the way, I never liked 'Megatron' either.

P.S.

I wonder if Geno in his more salty moods uses these nicknames pejoratively?

 

[southofnorth]

I don't disagree with you. Thinking about Bird, DT, and Maya in the G/SF mold who can just throw a shot up from anywhere and make it hasn't been around for awhile. For as good as KLS is, she has shown that she can be bothered if you invade her space unlike the aforementioned greats. I'm really looking for KLS to get beyond that tendency. If she does, #12 is in the bag in my opinion.

DT had no problem putting it on the floor and making a shot out of nothing even when a defender was in her face. Sue usually found cracks in the defense to weave her way to where she wanted. Maya and KLS are very similar in that if they have to put it on the floor without a screen or much space they get uncomfortable (or so it seemed with Maya). Maya was just better about getting her shot up in the blink of an eye so even great defenders looked clueless.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Gabby was an elite high jumper. Megan is more of a traditional basketball player who is also a physical specimen (think Maya or Tina). Gabby's talents are unique. Meg has more basketball experience at a comparable age. While Gabby sat out most of two high school seasons due to injury, Meg led her team to 3 straight Virginia championships. Though Meg was tentative last year, she is inherently more aggressive offensively than Gabby. I don't expect Meg to be the passer that Gabby became or the DPOY, but she should be a solid rebounder, especially for her size, and an aggressive scorer. In short, I don't expect Meg to be another Gabby, but she is as good an option as I can think of to fill the void created by Gabby's departure. Megatron!

Bravo on the post. I don't know why there would be any angst about MW. I expect her to be a beast.