The new starting 5 will be...

[bizarro aj]

Gabby is a guard who plays forward.

Really? How many times has she played at guard her first 2yrs for uconn? Thats like saying stewie and maya are guards!

 

[CocoHusky]

Really? How many times has she played at guard her first 2yrs for uconn? Thats like saying stewie and maya are guards!

Two years if you go by the official UCONN roster. Not sure why it really matters. Is Gabby going to start or nah?

 

[dtbtbtb]

To start the season I think it will be Kia, KLS, Phee, Gabby and Butler. Kia and KLS will bring the ball up court and you need Butler's size against teams like FSU and Baylor. During the season I can see Chong or Danger starting instead of Butler (is she didn't improve as much as we all hope she did).

 

[JoePgh]

Really? How many times has she played at guard her first 2yrs for uconn? Thats like saying stewie and maya are guards!

On defense, Gabby played guard last year on nearly every possession when she was in the game. She was only a forward on offense.

And there were a significant number of times when Lou played guard on offense, including handling the ball against the press.

Both players are highly versatile, and they will need that versatility this year.

 

[bizarro aj]

Geno will play the 5 players who have experience against a good team on the road and the ones the coaches trust the most. As far as i know the freshman have no experience and butler has limited mins against a tough team on the road mostly in mop up time.

 

[CocoHusky]

Geno will play the 5 players who have experience against a good team on the road and the ones the coaches trust the most. As far as i know the freshman have no experience and butler has limited mins against a tough team on the road mostly in mop up time.

Wait,.... some team has Freshmen with experience?

 

[easttexastrash]

It will be interesting to see who starts against Baylor. If Butler is not ready to start and log some significant minutes it could be a long day in the paint for UCONN with Baylor having players at 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 and 6-7 to share playing time down low. It will be very interesting to see how Geno combats that size if he has to go with a small lineup. Cave is the shortest of the four post players but may have the longest arms, so she plays bigger than 6-3.

 

[easttexastrash]

Wait,.... some team has Freshmen with experience?

Dangerfield certainly has experience against quality players, just not at the college level. The other two...not so much. Cox has a lot of experience, just not at the college level. But you can call MVP in international play experience.

 

[DEFCONN1]

I just want to throw my milk bones in, so here goes;
Katie Lou
Pheesa
Natalie
Kia
Saniya
With Gabby first off the bench and Chrystal getting more and more playing time as the season goes on.

 

[CocoHusky]

Dangerfield certainly has experience against quality players, just not at the college level. The other two...not so much. Cox has a lot of experience, just not at the college level. But you can call MVP in international play experience.

All players have different levels of experience.
All Freshmen have Zero collegiate experience coming in thus they are Freshmen.

 

[Longtime fan]

I'm still scratching my head on this one...

I believe Geno will begin with a veteran line-up, including Soniya and Nurse at guard. Katie Lou and Naphessa will also start. So that leaves one spot.

I would be amazed if Butler can earn it, as she simply doesn't seem very athletic or reliable. So Gabby is logical, unless coach wants her off the bench. Maybe one of the freshman will earn a spot. I don't think it will be Crystal, although I expect her to start after the first month to 6 weeks of the season.

It will be interesting to watch.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

This is an old article, but Kia's remarks make me think she sees Crystal in line up sooner rather than later. Lofty expectations for UConn's Kia Nurse

"I have been playing off the ball more recently especially with the national team," Nurse said. "It wasn't my natural position but I was a point guard for most of my life so I do think I will be playing a little bit of both. I do think off the ball I can help out because I understand the offenses and those kinds of things and I think Moriah helped me out a lot with that last year. Doing a little bit of both, I think I can handle it.

"I think she (Dangerfield) has to understand that she is not alone in this. As somebody who has been here for a long time and worked with Mo (Jefferson) in that kind of sense, I learned from her and have Shea on your side and go through film, I have her back on that and I will help her out wth all of that."

 

[j66kicker]

This is an old article, but Kia's remarks make me think she sees Crystal in line up sooner rather than later. Lofty expectations for UConn's Kia Nurse

Didn't realize Nykesha was joining the UCF coaching staff....

SALES FITTING IN Aliyah Gregory was already fired up when she headed that Tahnee Balerio would be making the move from Albany along with newly-hired UCF head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson. Then when the high-scoring junior guard found out that former UConn and WNBA star Nykesha Sales would also be joining the UCF staff, she was downright giddy.

"It is amazing opportunity,' Gregory said. "I was already excited because we had Coach (Balerio) on our staff and then I found out Coach Keesh was hired and I said the two of them are going to take it to a new level."

 

[easttexastrash]

All Freshmen have Zero collegiate experience coming in thus they are Freshmen.

Wow! I had no idea! How did I make it to my 6th decade on this earth and not know that?

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Didn't realize Nykesha was joining the UCF coaching staff....

SALES FITTING IN Aliyah Gregory was already fired up when she headed that Tahnee Balerio would be making the move from Albany along with newly-hired UCF head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson. Then when the high-scoring junior guard found out that former UConn and WNBA star Nykesha Sales would also be joining the UCF staff, she was downright giddy.

"It is amazing opportunity,' Gregory said. "I was already excited because we had Coach (Balerio) on our staff and then I found out Coach Keesh was hired and I said the two of them are going to take it to a new level."

When the news about "Coach Keesh" first hit I was surprised because she had appeared to turn away from a professional connection to the sport and a total focus on her successful career in Florida real estate. Then I was delighted. The article is wrong in one particular; Keesh is very tough and she has a strong ego, but it's a mature ego.

 

[cbraarj]

Geno will play the 5 players who have experience against a good team on the road and the ones the coaches trust the most. As far as i know the freshman have no experience and butler has limited mins against a tough team on the road mostly in mop up time.

At the end last year he said Saniya has matured off the court not on it. He said she will play great for a day or 2 maybe a week then she goes back to the player who has no confidence and you dont know if you can trust her out there. That is why she didnt play until the end of the game against Oregon St. and Syracuse. She does not deserve to start and Crystal is going to suprise everyone. Freshmen guards who started right away at Uconn Bird, Nicole Wolf, Rene Montegomery and Bria Hartley. Dangerfield has played with Collier and Samuelson for USAB. Chong off the bench for a spark on offense but starting no way.

 

[calpedaler]

At the end last year he said Saniya has matured off the court not on it. He said she will play great for a day or 2 maybe a week then she goes back to the player who has no confidence and you dont know if you can trust her out there. That is why she didnt play until the end of the game against Oregon St. and Syracuse. She does not deserve to start and Crystal is going to suprise everyone. Freshmen guards who started right away at Uconn Bird, Nicole Wolf, Rene Montegomery and Bria Hartley. Dangerfield has played with Collier and Samuelson for USAB. Chong off the bench for a spark on offense but starting no way.

The oft forgotten Caroline Doty also started as a freshman.

 

[CocoHusky]

That is why she didnt play until the end of the game against Oregon St. and Syracuse. She (Saniya) does not deserve to start and Crystal is going to suprise everyone. Dangerfield has played with Collier and Samuelson for USAB. Chong off the bench for a spark on offense but starting no way.

That Saniya was not healthy all year was the reason she did not play much. Why doesn't Saniya "deserve" to start considering she been a UCONN starter before?

 

[OldAlum]

I hope Saniya can play up to her capabilities! Was it last season or the season before when Geno was saying how well she was doing pre-season? A few games in and she wasn't playing much and a reporter asked what happened to her and Geno said something like "We started playing games."

 

[cbraarj]

That Saniya was not healthy all year was the reason she did not play much. Why doesn't Saniya "deserve" to start considering she been a UCONN starter before?

Why does she deserve to start? Because she is a senior. NO The offense runs smother with her? No She is real good defender? No Can she score Yes. She would be better coming off the bench to provide instant offense ala John Gwynn used to do for the mens team. Huskies All Access at the end of last February Geno said Saniya has matured off the court but not on it. She will have 1 or 2 great practices maybe a week then back to the lack of confidence player we see. After 3 years I am suprised you even asked that question.

 

[cbraarj]

The oft forgotten Caroline Doty also started as a freshman.

One of my favorites, shame on me! If she had no injuries Maya wins NC in Sr. year and Caroline IS AA,IMO.

 

[easttexastrash]

I hope Saniya can play up to her capabilities! Was it last season or the season before when Geno was saying how well she was doing pre-season? A few games in and she wasn't playing much and a reporter asked what happened to her and Geno said something like "We started playing games."

Gotta love Geno...he tells it like it is.

 

[CocoHusky]

Why does she deserve to start? Because she is a senior. NO The offense runs smother with her? No She is real good defender? No Can she score Yes. She would be better coming off the bench to provide instant offense ala John Gwynn used to do for the mens team. Huskies All Access at the end of last February Geno said Saniya has matured off the court but not on it. She will have 1 or 2 great practices maybe a week then back to the lack of confidence player we see. After 3 years I am suprised you even asked that question.

You have done a great job of answering your own questions. Now let me try.
No one "deserves" to start or not start- that is an entitlement mentality not indigenous to UCONN. The right to start is earned in practice and reinforced by in game performance. Saniya two years ago accomplished the former (in practice) but failed on the latter (in game). Saniya will be fine, sounds like she on her way to doing both.

 

[itsasport]

Originally, I had Butler to start,; but, based on Geno's statement that he would prefer for Nurse not to the point guard, and his praise for how Chong was doing, I'm going to switch for her to start. This allows Butler to come in against a tired 1st string center or a backup.

My hopes for this team were that Gabby would develop a 3-point shot, she has. That Butler
would pull a "Dolson," she did. That Dangerfield would be the real deal, she is.
And that Chong would be healthy, she is. And, regarding the post on the biggest surprise and most improved player. I think she will be.

This gives Uconm two sets of 1 and 2 guards (Gabby as the other

And, another surprise, the freshmen look like they couldeventually get first-half playing time.

This is going to be fun- a UConn team with no pre-season All Americans, picked out of the top four, who could win a championship.

This will be the undeniable proof that the reason for all the championships is not just recruiting
the best high school All Americans -it is the UConn system and having players who embrace it.

 

[CocoHusky]

Originally, I had Butler to start,; but, based on Geno's statement that he would prefer for Nurse not to the point guard, and his praise for how Chong was doing, I'm going to switch for her to start. This allows Butler to come in against a tired 1st string center or a backup.

My hopes for this team were that Gabby would develop a 3-point shot, she has. That Butler
would pull a "Dolson," she did. That Dangerfield would be the real deal, she is.
And that Chong would be healthy, she is. And, regarding the post on the biggest surprise and most improved player. I think she will be.

This gives Uconm two sets of 1 and 2 guards (Gabby as the other

And, another surprise, the freshmen look like they couldeventually get first-half playing time.

This is going to be fun- a UConn team with no pre-season All Americans, picked out of the top four, who could win a championship.

This will be the undeniable proof that the reason for all the championships is not just recruiting
the best high school All Americans -it is the UConn system and having players who embrace it.

Who is going to be defending the center position for UCONN with Natalie on the bench?