Thinking ahead to 2016-17...

[alexrgct]

Look, it's flippin' off-season. We have a whole season to talk about when we get closer to November, when we know the 2015-16 schedule, and when we have the preseason rankings. In the interim...why not think a season ahead?

I expect to enjoy the hell out of Moriah's and Stewie's senior campaigns, and when they're gone, they will leave a huge void. No, Geno isn't done with recruiting in his 2016 class, but even if he were, the 2016-17 roster looks like this thus far:

Morgan Tuck
Saniya Chong
Courtney Ekmark
Kia Nurse
Gabby Williams
Natalie Butler
Katie Lou Samuelson
Napheesa Collier
De'Janae Boykin
Kayla Irwin
Crystal Dangerfield
Tierney Lawlor

I mean, that's a pretty big bucket of talent, right? And what if the starting lineup looked like this?

Kia Nurse
Katie Lou Samuelson
Napheesa Collier
Morgan Tuck
Natalie Butler

That looks like a stellar starting five, and the great thing is there are other options. We'll be losing the best PG in the country when Mo graduates, and maybe Crystal would need to step right in and carry that mantle. Maybe Gabby, Saniya, and/or Courtney, take a leap forward between now and November 2016. Who knows what kind of impact Boykin will have early in her career?

In short, I can't definitively project a starting five 18 months in advance...but I can suggest the possibility of a specific one. My central point is that if my suggestion is accurate, that's going to be a hell of a basketball team. And if my suggestion is inaccurate and Geno finds ways to make his lineup better...that's going to be a hell of a basketball team.

Additionally the 2017 women's Final Four is in Dallas. Can't take for granted the Huskies make it that far, but UConn basketball programs do really, really well in F4s held in Texas. Just sayin'...

 

[chrissaran]

If Gabby improves her shooting, she'll be starting. Her rebounding numbers are ridiculous. She's a high flying, glass cleaning, jumping machine.

 

[triaddukefan]

Im already looking forward to 2016-17, should be a great year for WCBB

 

[rugbymate]

Look, it's flippin' off-season. We have a whole season to talk about when we get closer to November, when we know the 2015-16 schedule, and when we have the preseason rankings. In the interim...why not think a season ahead?

I expect to enjoy the hell out of Moriah's and Stewie's senior campaigns, and when they're gone, they will leave a huge void. No, Geno isn't done with recruiting in his 2016 class, but even if he were, the 2016-17 roster looks like this thus far:

Morgan Tuck
Saniya Chong
Courtney Ekmark
Kia Nurse
Gabby Williams
Natalie Butler
Katie Lou Samuelson
Napheesa Collier
De'Janae Boykin
Kayla Irwin
Crystal Dangerfield
Tierney Lawlor

I mean, that's a pretty big bucket of talent, right? And what if the starting lineup looked like this?

Kia Nurse
Katie Lou Samuelson
Napheesa Collier
Morgan Tuck
Natalie Butler

That looks like a stellar starting five, and the great thing is there are other options. We'll be losing the best PG in the country when Mo graduates, and maybe Crystal would need to step right in and carry that mantle. Maybe Gabby, Saniya, and/or Courtney, take a leap forward between now and November 2016. Who knows what kind of impact Boykin will have early in her career?

In short, I can't definitively project a starting five 18 months in advance...but I can suggest the possibility of a specific one. My central point is that if my suggestion is accurate, that's going to be a hell of a basketball team. And if my suggestion is inaccurate and Geno finds ways to make his lineup better...that's going to be a hell of a basketball team.

Additionally the 2017 women's Final Four is in Dallas. Can't take for granted the Huskies make it that far, but UConn basketball programs do really, really well in F4s held in Texas. Just sayin'...

Who do you have at the 2?...you could make a strong case for Collier but she also has rebounding gifts that might be best at the three. If Lou can guard a 2 defensively, she would make an intriguing 2 given her shooting skill set. Fun issues to think about.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Who do you have at the 2?...you could make a strong case for Collier but she also has rebounding gifts that might be best at the three. If Lou can guard a 2 defensively, she would make an intriguing 2 given her shooting skill set. Fun issues to think about.

I think that the two might be KLS because I think by then, she'll be at least an adequate defensive player and we were able to deal with KML in that two, three position whose quickness was very much in question. There's no doubt KLS has better quickness than KML will ever have and her intelligence to compensate for quicker opponents is at least at the level of KML's. I think that between KLS and Collier, that Collier is more suited for the three position than KLS and so that lineup projection is compelling. It can (and probably will) change but at this juncture, it's feasible.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

I can't figure out where this notion of Collier being a guard came from. She's not going to bring the ball up the floor, have ball-handling duties, or run around the perimeter seeking jump shots. Best comp I can think of is a Jones/Cash hybrid.

KLS can probably play "guard" on the offensive end if Williams is in to defend quicker perimeter players.

 

[rvwsleep]

With Jefferson and then Dangerfield at the point, the need for top notch dribbling from the 2 guard will not be of the utmost importance. And as Slu has pointed out, the match ups will not necessarily be consistent on both offense and defense. Williams could guard the 2 on defense while playing mostly in the post on offense and conversely KLS could play more on the perimeter with the ball while guarding the 3 on defense. The strict definition of what a 2 or a 3 does could be blurred altogether. For all but a few of the regular season games (and maybe all of them), Collier will be more than capable at the 2 guard. The question is what is the best lineup against the top teams during the regular season ? Geno will have all season to determine that and be ready for the NCAA's with his most effective line up.
I will still feel more comfortable if we can sign one big for 2016-2017 (McCoy or Cox please). Losing Stewie and Jefferson (at least) for 2016-2017 will be a huge change for the Huskies. They've managed to recover from graduations before but none will be quite like this one.

 

[bballnut90]

It should be a very competitive year in women's college basketball. Look at some of the top teams:

Notre Dame-Taya Reimer, Lindsey Allen, Brianna Turner, Westbeld, 2015 recruits and 2016 recruits
Tennessee-Carter, Reynolds, DeShields, Russell, Nared, Tucker, Cooper
South Carolina-Coates, Wilson, White, Cuevas
Baylor-Davis, Jones, Cave, stellar 2015 recruiting class
Louisville-Hines-Allen, Moore, Durr, other top 2015 recruits
Duke-Greenwell, Stevens, Chidom, Salvadores, Lambert
North Carolina-Mavunga, Gray, Washington
Ohio State-Kelsey Mitchell (worth a mention on her own)
Maryland-Jones, Walker-Kimbrough, Brown
Texas-will be absolutely loaded at the rate they are going with recruits

Should be the most competitive year in women's college basketball since 2011 or possibly since 2008.

 

[cabbie191]

It should be a very competitive year in women's college basketball. Look at some of the top teams:

Notre Dame-Taya Reimer, Lindsey Allen, Brianna Turner, Westbeld, 2015 recruits and 2016 recruits
Tennessee-Carter, Reynolds, DeShields, Russell, Nared, Tucker, Cooper
South Carolina-Coates, Wilson, White, Cuevas
Baylor-Davis, Jones, Cave, stellar 2015 recruiting class
Louisville-Hines-Allen, Moore, Durr, other top 2015 recruits
Duke-Greenwell, Stevens, Chidom, Salvadores, Lambert
North Carolina-Mavunga, Gray, Washington
Ohio State-Kelsey Mitchell (worth a mention on her own)
Maryland-Jones, Walker-Kimbrough, Brown
Texas-will be absolutely loaded at the rate they are going with recruits

Should be the most competitive year in women's college basketball since 2011 or possibly since 2008.

Should be and I'm looking forward to it. But gosh, I sure wish there would be some new names cropping up on this list.

 

[Suebird10fan]

With Jefferson and then Dangerfield at the point, the need for top notch dribbling from the 2 guard will not be of the utmost importance. And as Slu has pointed out, the match ups will not necessarily be consistent on both offense and defense. Williams could guard the 2 on defense while playing mostly in the post on offense and conversely KLS could play more on the perimeter with the ball while guarding the 3 on defense. The strict definition of what a 2 or a 3 does could be blurred altogether. For all but a few of the regular season games (and maybe all of them), Collier will be more than capable at the 2 guard. The question is what is the best lineup against the top teams during the regular season ? Geno will have all season to determine that and be ready for the NCAA's with his most effective line up.
I will still feel more comfortable if we can sign one big for 2016-2017 (McCoy or Cox please). Losing Stewie and Jefferson (at least) for 2016-2017 will be a huge change for the Huskies. They've managed to recover from graduations before but none will be quite like this one.

Unless you count 2002/03... which worked out ok.

It will be a tough transition but my bet is that by tournament time we'll be a clear #1

 

[HuskiesU]

Gabby should continue to work on Guard Skills ball handling shooting in and outside also being a better playmaker. She has the tools that will be all on her how good she wants to be. I can see her at the 2 as a slasher but she has to be able to hit an open Jumper

 

[MilfordHusky]

I can't figure out where this notion of Collier being a guard came from. She's not going to bring the ball up the floor, have ball-handling duties, or run around the perimeter seeking jump shots. Best comp I can think of is a Jones/Cash hybrid.

KLS can probably play "guard" on the offensive end if Williams is in to defend quicker perimeter players.

Napheesa said in at least one interview that Geno wants to play her at guard. It surprised me and still does.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Napheesa said in at least one interview that Geno wants to play her at guard. It surprised me and still does.

I think you're referring to this comment which is a bit vague:

Collier was everywhere. Handling the ball, crashing the glass and attacking the rim. A strong paint presence at the high school level, she will put those immense skills to work on the perimeter at Connecticut. After an elite group of seniors graduated from Incarnate last season, Collier was asked to do more with a younger varsity lineup. She has done that and then some.

“It's good for me because next year I'm not going to be a post,” Collier said. “It's good to start practicing that.”

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/high...cle_8a39f958-ba2b-11e4-84c7-875e3077c2dc.html