The 2011 and 2014 seasons, depth, etc.

[alexrgct]

Yesterday against USF, UConn sent a grand total of six onto the court. Six! It's not a good number, but it made sense. Lawlor and Pulido, God love 'em, aren't going to see significant playing time. That gets us down from 11 players to nine. Tuck is done for the year, Banks was sidelined with an injury, and Chong was sick. Indeed, down to six it is.

Fielding six reminds me of the 2010-11 season, a memorable and mostly good season that could have and should have culminated in a national championship. Of course, that team was thin. Of a roster of nine, freshmen Lauren Engeln and Michala Johnson were as sidelined as Lawlor and Pulido, and Heather Buck was both developmentally challenged as a basketball player and injured for a good chunk of the latter days of the season. That left the magnificent centerpiece Maya Moore, fellow upperclasswoman Tiff Hayes, somewhat super soph Kelly Faris (she certainly finished her career a super senior), and sink-or-swim freshmen Bria and Stef. The "bench"? Only the whopping one player, tiny senior Lorin Dixon.

If we take the six in 2010-11, one that miraculously came close to winning it all, how would it compare to this season? Well, I'll take seniors Bria and Stef over their freshmen incarnations, notwithstanding the great games both players had at times during their inaugural seasons. Certainly, I'd say MoJeff is becoming comparable to Kelly, so I'll call it a draw for now with both as sophs. Comparing Kiah to Lorin is silly, but Kiah is sized to add more value and help make up for post players in foul trouble (which proved to be UConn's undoing in the 2011 national semis). That leaves KML vs. Tiff Hayes (where KML *should* have the advantage but hasn't exactly had it with her inconsistent play this season) and Stewie vs Maya Moore (and let's face it; Stewie isn't Maya, though Breanna's absolutely phenomenal and going to have her surname guaranteed to to go on the Huskies of Honor wall Senior Night 2016).

Here's where this leaves us. If UConn can stabilize the depth situation this season, this team will be better than the almost-legendary 2011 team. Just as importantly: if KML finds her consistent stride, and Stewie keeps doing Stewie stuff, this team is better than UConn 2010-11. And if it is, a national championship won't be a stretch at all.

For the record, I'll never forget 2010-11. I'll always have 12/21/10 against Florida State, as great an atmosphere for WBB as I've ever experienced live, the thrilling game against Baylor with "the moment" for Bria, during which the light came on for her with Sue Bird's and Swin Cash's eyes lighting up right there from the stands, the wonderfully entertaining two games against ND (including the thrilling BET final), this thin team's absolute destruction of Duke in Gampel, and of course every game, every last one, simply because each prominently featured Maya Moore. Those kids could have done it all that year. Damn it.

 

[meyers7]

UCONN's walk in the park this season, is getting more difficult. They are going to have to work some for this. Overcoming adversity is a better story line anyway.

 

[UcMiami]

I think Heather actually provided sort of what Kiah provided her first two years - size off the bench with defensive chops but challenged on the offensive end. This years Kiah is far superior to that description, but on a limited roster having someone who can provide valuable post minutes on defense when fouls mount up is very important. And in the same way, while physically limited while at Uconn Johnson could provide what neither Pulido or Lawlor can - some emergence height.

And I would have used Lorin/Mo advantage Mo, and Kelly/Kiah advantage Kelly just because they are more similar in what they were providing on the court.

That said - I take this years team, and remember Stewart may not be Moore, but Moore never had the FF that Stewart had her freshman year. (That Stanford championship was extremely special in its own way! Or at least the second half!)