Texas at Tennessee (merged thread)

[huskeynut]

I'll be honest - not worried about Westbrook. She made her choice and I'm fine with that.

We've got Megan and I'm a very happy camper! We have seen glimpses of what is to come with Megan. Megan gets it. She's a fighter under the boards. She can really fly down the court. The 3 point shot is there and will only get better. She is going to be special!

 

[Goodgood]

Way too early to tell. Look at Jewell Loyd and Stewart. Loyd started really hot, Stewart was in the doghouse. Loyd ended winning Freshman of the year. 4 years later, they both were the first WNBA draft choice. Coaching makes a lot of difference, but not as much as the inherent smart and athleticism.

 

[eebmg]

Way too early to tell. Look at Jewell Loyd and Stewart. Loyd started really hot, Stewart was in the doghouse. Loyd ended winning Freshman of the year. 4 years later, they both were the first WNBA draft choice. Coaching makes a lot of difference, but not as much as the inherent smart and athleticism.

Except that now in the WNBA, Jewell Loyd still plays like she did at ND. Fantastic athlete who can take over a game both positively or negatively.

 

[hoopsdiva]

So, who made the better choice"

Hopefully each of these student athletes has made the best choice for herself. And it doesn't have to be the same as someone else's best choice.

 

[Goodgood]

[/QUOTE]

Hopefully each of these student athletes has made the best choice for herself. And it doesn't have to be the same as someone else's best choice.[/QUOTE]

Yes, and Geno can only take 2 or 3 athletes a year. He has what he needs. Others go to where they want to go...

 

[stwainfan]

Westbrook has to play more out of need. Both players are talented. Its early in their careers. I think both will be outstanding players.

 

[oldude]

I don’t know that it’s obvious who will be the better player in the long run. As UConn fans we clearly have a bias, but both young ladies are talented and motivated. Let’s hope they both succeed.

 

[HGN]

I think they both made the right choice.........for them. Evina chose Tennessee and she and Tennessee are happy. Megan chose the Huskies and I think both she and the Huskies are happy as well. They both may culminate their choice by winning a NC. Only time will tell. But my money is on MW.

Evina is getting a baptism of sorts and being thrown in the fire early....more by necessity I think. Megan is being brought along more slowly because its not a necessity to rush her. Letting her learn at her own pace. Learning the little nuances of basketball , building more basketball IQ , refining the skills that make her better , and learning how to play team basketball.

Ultimately , both made a good choice and the right choice.

 

[msf22b]

1, Against ND, Dangerfield played all 40 minutes the other day as a soph...
If Meg was Maya Moore, she would have played a lot too.
The freshman class is a lot of what UTenn's got.

2. Westbrook showed signs of being a terrific player yesterday. UTenn
doesn't run a discernible offense so whomever has the ball has to shoot...
better than throwing it away.

3. Meg was the #1 player...she should be better according to the ranking
but Westbrook impressed me...

I don't enjoy this kind of a thread...We all know that players are going to be coached better at UConn; it shouldn't be necessary to disparage other kids and their choices.

 

[Kaizen]

Megan has the chance to wear 4 NC rings while Westbrook does not have this in her resume.

 

[eebmg]

Megan has the chance to wear 4 NC rings while Westbrook does not have this in her resume.

Not every one views that the same. I am sure there are many young players who would think it is greater to be on an opposing team and have the opportunity to beat UConn even if only once as an alpha. (Kobe Bryant Model)

 

[bags27]

Just as most of the posters above, I'm uncomfortable with this for a variety of reasons detailed above:

• kids make the choices they do and we hope they turn out well for them all--they are kids before they're ballplayers
• after 8 or 9 games in their freshman year, who can really predict what of whom?
• these 2 players in particular have vastly different burdens put on them because of what their teams currently need of them

But moving it away from a specific comparison of young athletes, this is a UConn board, and posters do like to point out that the rigorous discipline that Geno & Co. imposes on his players allows (forces!) them to develop their fundamentals and transition from being the absolute star of their high school team into an effective and efficient component of a larger enterprise. This is no small learning experience in sports or life. So, we like to remind ourselves of this occasionally (like several times/day).

I think exhibit A currently is Crystal, who is mind-blowingly improving game-by-game. Last year, she often channeled her I'm-in-high school-and-I need-to-do-this-solo routine. And a couple of times this year even, and Geno blew a fuse. Even the DePaul game, after draining 2 quick 3s, at the time out Geno talked to her about options she had passed up. This is what you get at UConn and, to that extent, nowhere else.

 

[huskyd]

Sorry that this is a bit OT, but . . .

Announcers at the Tenn/Texas game yesterday kept talking about “the Holly Warlick Error.” Clearly, after watching this study in futility, the “error” was with the coaches. (Especially the error of assuming that sitting next to Pat Summitt alone conveys useful knowledge by osmosis.)

We were told there were 15 high school AA's on the two teams. Certainly there were an abundance of high school players. Making the point, if need be, that it doesn't matter how many “stars” you have on a team but on how that team is assembled and coached. These two squads are utterly clueless. The object seemed to be to run down the court and shoot whether the players had a good shot or not. Offense was a No Passing Zone. There were no discernible “plays” as such: whatever you do, do not pass the ball to anyone.

The sorry Vols won because the ball seemed always to wind up in their hands (bad refs, lucky bounces). Texas, in gray unis even uglier than ours, were equally as lost. Number 2 team in the country? What country?

The Holly Warlick “error” or “era”; select (a).

 

[Teacherdeb]

15 high school AA's between TN and TX- I'll point to that the next time some know- nothing tries to tell me "Sure UCONN is good- they get all the talent".
Anyone have a list of the top 10 teams and how many HS AAs on each?

 

[Alydar]

Hard to know what to say after that one. It was as bad as all these posts say. Texas should never have been ranked #2, but honestly I've never seen this team play a game as awful as that. Atkins and Higgs showed up, but no one else did. McCarty has never had a game like that before. And it did look like they have never been coached, but believe me, they have. Players do not always play in games like they have been coached. I do have two beefs with Karen Aston --- not playing Rellah Boothe and not trying a zone. But stay tuned...you may see a better Texas later in the year.

I agree. And just for the record Texas may have been No 2 in the AP poll but that was only because they were 2 at the start and went 10-0. The voters don't take SOS into consideration. The same could be said for Tenn. They moved up to 11 not because they looked it but because they beat all those weak teams while programs ranked ahead of them lost to some really good teams. Massey, an analytical ranking service that isn't influenced by the names on the jerseys had Tenn 11th or 12th and Texas 7th. Today they have Tenn 8th & Texas 9th. Massey has only 3 SEC teams in their top 25, S Car, Miss St & Tenn.

At this time of the season many teams play very erratically from game to game and from home to away. Most programs gear their seasons to their conference schedule. Sometimes I forget that UConn is one of the rare teams that isn't like that. Texas will be a much better team with Holmes at the 4 and Caron-Goudreau as the backup to White, who won't have such an offensive burden.

 

[Alydar]

one comment on scheduling. i don't think comparing UCONN and TN's schedule is as easy as some people think. TN plays in the SEC. UCONN plays in the AAC. there is no reason for Holly to schedule a crazy hard OOC schedule. UCONN has to schedule tough games in the

thanks bud! she's a good one. hope she gets a good shot in the pros.

I think the "toughness" of the SEC is more myth than reality. Massey only ranks the LV's, the Gamecocks & the Bulldogs in their top 25. Tenn has three games in the SEC against other ranked teams and OOC games against ranked Notre Dame and Stanford. UConn has 2 conference games against USF and 3 OOC games left against S Car, Texas, Louisville. And up to this point in the season UConn's SOS is 2 while Tenn's (including Texas) is 32. Massey projects UConn to end the season with a SOS of 2 and Tenn with a SOS of 8.

I'm waiting till Tenn plays at Stanford, their first road test, before I make any judgments.

 

[Intpseeker]

A plethora of talent.

A dearth of coaching.

 

[mtsuraider06]

15 high school AA's between TN and TX- I'll point to that the next time some know- nothing tries to tell me "Sure UCONN is good- they get all the talent".
Anyone have a list of the top 10 teams and how many HS AAs on each?

Texas 10
Ariel Atkins 2014
Rellah Boothe 2017
Lashann Higgs 2015
Joyner Holmes 2016
Jordan Hosey 2015
Destiny Littleton 2017
Brooke Mccarty 2014
Chasity Patterson 2017
Alecia Sutton 2016
Jatarie White 2014

Louisville 6
Asia Durr 2015
Dana Evans 2017
Sam Fuehring 2015
Myisha Hines-Allen 2014
Loretta Kakala 2017
Kylee Shook 2016

Notre Dame 6
Marina Mabrey 2015
Arike Ogunbowale 2015
Danielle Patterson 2017
Brianna Turner 2014
Kathryn Westbeld 2014
Jackie Young 2016

Tennessee 6
Rennia Davis 2017
Anastasia Hayes 2017
Kasiyahna Kushkituah 2017
Jaime Nared 2014
Mercedes Russell 2013
Evina Westbrook 2017

UConn 6
Napheesa Collier 2015
Mikayla Coombs 2017
Crystal Dangerfield 2016
Katie Lou Samuelson 2015
Megan Walker 2017
Gabby Williams 2014

Baylor 5
Kalani Brown 2015
Natalie Chou 2016
Lauren Cox 2016
Alexis Morris 2017
Deauzya Richards 2017

Duke 5
Lexie Brown 2013
Rebecca Greenwell 2013
Kyra Lambert 2015
Leaonna Odom 2016
Jade Williams 2017

Stanford 5
DiJonai Carrington 2016
Maya Dodson 2017
Nadia Fingall 2016
Kiana Williams 2017
Anna Wilson 2016

UCLA 5
Jordin Canada 2014
Lindsey Corsaro 2016
LaJahna Drummer 2014
Ashley Hearn 2015
Michaela Onyenwere 2017

Ohio State 4
Sierra Calhoun 2014
Linnae Harper 2013
Stephanie Mavunga 2013
Kelsey Mitchell 2014

 

[CocoHusky]

15 high school AA's between TN and TX- I'll point to that the next time some know- nothing tries to tell me "Sure UCONN is good- they get all the talent".
Anyone have a list of the top 10 teams and how many HS AAs on each?

I have a list but unfortunately these list tend to raise more questions than it answers mainly because there are so many AA teams out there. For this example I only focused on McDonalds and Parade and used the Coaches Poll week 4.
My conclusions:
1) UCONN is doing just fine with getting it's share of HS AA talent.
2) Texas should be doing much better because it has gotten more than it share and could field two FULL starting teams with AA players.
3) These AA list do not tell the full story (or maybe they do) because some of the most impactful talent in WCBB do not appear on these list. Three quick examples: Kia Nurse, Monique Billings, & Tyasha Harris.

 

[CocoHusky]

A plethora of talent.
A dearth of coaching.

No wonder Jamie Nared thinks Geno is so dope!

 

[hugefan]

Westbrook gets instant gratification
Meg works on her game against the best
Meg gets coached by the best there is
Meg will get better
Priceless

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Westbrook gets instant gratification
Meg works on her game against the best
Meg gets coached by the best there is
Meg will get better
Priceless

I think we have to acknowledge that some amazingly talented young women do actually choose to go to other colleges. And we also have to acknowledge that there are great talents who thrive elsewhere and have tremendous professional careers as well. So Westbrook could be one of those immensely talented athletes who, for whatever reason, decided not to go to Connecticut, and may actually end up being a great player in WCBB.

It happens.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Texas 10
Ariel Atkins 2014
Rellah Boothe 2017
Lashann Higgs 2015
Joyner Holmes 2016
Jordan Hosey 2015
Destiny Littleton 2017
Brooke Mccarty 2014
Chasity Patterson 2017
Alecia Sutton 2016
Jatarie White 2014

Louisville 6
Asia Durr 2015
Dana Evans 2017
Sam Fuehring 2015
Myisha Hines-Allen 2014
Loretta Kakala 2017
Kylee Shook 2016

Notre Dame 6
Marina Mabrey 2015
Arike Ogunbowale 2015
Danielle Patterson 2017
Brianna Turner 2014
Kathryn Westbeld 2014
Jackie Young 2016

Tennessee 6
Rennia Davis 2017
Anastasia Hayes 2017
Kasiyahna Kushkituah 2017
Jaime Nared 2014
Mercedes Russell 2013
Evina Westbrook 2017

UConn 6
Napheesa Collier 2015
Mikayla Coombs 2017
Crystal Dangerfield 2016
Katie Lou Samuelson 2015
Megan Walker 2017
Gabby Williams 2014

Baylor 5
Kalani Brown 2015
Natalie Chou 2016
Lauren Cox 2016
Alexis Morris 2017
Deauzya Richards 2017

Duke 5
Lexie Brown 2013
Rebecca Greenwell 2013
Kyra Lambert 2015
Leaonna Odom 2016
Jade Williams 2017

Stanford 5
DiJonai Carrington 2016
Maya Dodson 2017
Nadia Fingall 2016
Kiana Williams 2017
Anna Wilson 2016

UCLA 5
Jordin Canada 2014
Lindsey Corsaro 2016
LaJahna Drummer 2014
Ashley Hearn 2015
Michaela Onyenwere 2017

Ohio State 4
Sierra Calhoun 2014
Linnae Harper 2013
Stephanie Mavunga 2013
Kelsey Mitchell 2014

So much for the meme that Connecticut "gets all of the best players." Clearly, a lot of immensely talented players have ended up at other universities.

 

[MilfordHusky]

So much for the meme that Connecticut "gets all of the best players." Clearly, a lot of immensely talented players have ended up at other universities.

Texas has 10 HS AAs. Maybe we should just concede the game to them. Nah!

 

[CocoHusky]

So much for the meme that Connecticut "gets all of the best players." Clearly, a lot of immensely talented players have ended up at other universities.

You could just as easlily conclude: UCONN get's as much or more HS AA talent than EVERY other school-except Texas.