Time to see what Batouly can do?

[oldude]

When UConn’s starting 5 of Kia, Gabby, Lou, Pheesa and Danger are at their best, as they were in the 1st half vs SC on Thursday, it’s both beautiful to watch, and impossible for any other team to overcome. At the same time, throughout the season, Geno has struggled to develop a solid bench to be better able to deal with injuries, foul problems and just provide a few minutes of rest for the starters.

Despite her challenges on defense, Z is just too talented not to be the 1st player off the bench. Beyond the 5 starters + Z, it’s still not clear that UConn has anyone else capable of playing prime time minutes in big games.

AEH looked good early on, but we all know what happened to her. Molly appears to play too fast and sometimes out of control. Mikayla has been inconsistent at best. Lexi’s not ready yet. Kyla has been the most consistent player, who clearly understands the offense and defense, but she does not appear to have the athleticism to be effective against some of the top teams.

That brings us to MW. Megan is certainly not the first #1 recruit to struggle at UConn as a freshman, and she won’t be the last. Stewie and Lou had rough times as freshmen, but they eventually got it and contributed significantly to national championship runs as freshmen. After 3 solid games, it appeared as if MW had turned the corner, firmly establishing herself in the regular rotation. But then MW was largely ineffective vs SC and Cincy and so, once again, Geno is searching for depth on his roster.

While it’s possible that MW or another player I previously mentioned could yet establish themselves as a key reserve, I suggest that it may be time to see what Touly can do. After Z, Touly is the most experienced college player on UConn’s bench. At 6’2” She’s big, strong, aggressive and surprisingly quick. Touly became a starter for KY as a freshman. She rebounds well, has a nice shooting touch from 15’ in, and seems to move confidently on the court when she gets an opportunity to play.

While I have no idea how bad Touly’s knee injury was or is, it was really nice to see her on the court yesterday without that massive brace on her knee. Assuming Touly’s knee has progressed sufficiently to allow her to practice fully and play significant minutes, now is the time to give her the opportunity to assume the role as a key reserve, since no other Husky after Z seems to be able to secure that role.

 

[LasVegasYank]

Since there seems to be no one else left, why not get her in as #6.

Kyla is trying hard but I believe that she's already hit the ceiling and don't see how she can contribute much more than she already does. I'm a bit disappointed in MW and had high hopes for her but consistency seems to be out of her reach at this time. Lexi seems to be still out of her element. Coombs needs work and Bent, well I'd just be piling on to list her problems.

While the starting five plus Z are almost unstoppable, having one player not play up to snuff in the tournament would leave them with five and if two are having an off night (Miss State game) then they have significantly reduced their chances for another NC. That's why the 7th man is so important, IMHO.

 

[DefenseBB]

Spot on analysis. Batouly has shown glimpses of athleticism and instinct and offers that when playing truly solid front lines. That said, something must be going on at practice as she is almost universally the last one in every game. After Z, MW, to me, she Moore’s the most fluidly without hesitation or awkwardness of thinking “what do I do, oh yeah”...

While I consider myself a pretty good assessor of spacing, movement and athleticism, there are more enlightened members here that may be seeing something different and can opine what BC is doing wrong and/or is not getting real chances to play.

While Master Geno made a few positive comments about Kyla yesterday, I just don’t see it. She still commits far too many fouls and always looks to take the charge. I mean she is a solid 6’2” but is always falling on the floor. She never jumps straight up to contest or block a shot. While she spaces really well but out on the wing she can’t dribble penetrate like our other faster players, which BC can do. Kyla needs to either shoot the 3 or pass the ball back around. To me, solving our interior defensive concerns against the likes of a Baylor, Texas and MSU should have BC involved. Heck at least it’s 5 productive fouls in 5e worst case.
Again, I know what a favorite Kyla is and deservedly so for all her hard work, however our immediate post defense needs someone more skilled.

Now that said, I still think Geno is bemoaning a lack of depth too much. He has it and wants it to match his top 6, which will come with time and playing experience. See Crystal Dangerfield, KLS, Pheesa, Stewie, Mo...

 

[Sonny44]

When UConn’s starting 5 of Kia, Gabby, Lou, Pheesa and Danger are at their best, as they were in the 1st half vs SC on Thursday, it’s both beautiful to watch, and impossible for any other team to overcome. At the same time, throughout the season, Geno has struggled to develop a solid bench to be better able to deal with injuries, foul problems and just provide a few minutes of rest for the starters.

Despite her challenges on defense, Z is just too talented not to be the 1st player off the bench. Beyond the 5 starters + Z, it’s still not clear that UConn has anyone else capable of playing prime time minutes in big games.

AEH looked good early on, but we all know what happened to her. Molly appears to play too fast and sometimes out of control. Mikayla has been inconsistent at best. Lexi’s not ready yet. Kyla has been the most consistent player, who clearly understands the offense and defense, but she does not appear to have the athleticism to be effective against some of the top teams.

That brings us to MW. Megan is certainly not the first #1 recruit to struggle at UConn as a freshman, and she won’t be the last. Stewie and Lou had rough times as freshmen, but they eventually got it and contributed significantly to national championship runs as freshmen. After 3 solid games, it appeared as if MW had turned the corner, firmly establishing herself in the regular rotation. But then MW was largely ineffective vs SC and Cincy and so, once again, Geno is searching for depth on his roster.

While it’s possible that MW or another player I previously mentioned could yet establish themselves as a key reserve, I suggest that it may be time to see what Touly can do. After Z, Touly is the most experienced college player on UConn’s bench. At 6’2” She’s big, strong, aggressive and surprisingly quick. Touly became a starter for KY as a freshman. She rebounds well, has a nice shooting touch from 15’ in, and seems to move confidently on the court when she gets an opportunity to play.

While I have no idea how bad Touly’s knee injury was or is, it was really nice to see her on the court yesterday without that massive brace on her knee. Assuming Touly’s knee has progressed sufficiently to allow her to practice fully and play significant minutes, now is the time to give her the opportunity to assume the role as a key reserve, since no other Husky after Z seems to be able to secure that role.

I think her minutes are controlled indirectly by what the doctors are saying to the coaches.

 

[oldude]

Spot on analysis. Batouly has shown glimpses of athleticism and instinct and offers that when playing truly solid front lines. That said, something must be going on at practice as she is almost universally the last one in every game. After Z, MW, to me, she Moore’s the most fluidly without hesitation or awkwardness of thinking “what do I do, oh yeah”...

While I consider myself a pretty good assessor of spacing, movement and athleticism, there are more enlightened members here that may be seeing something different and can opine what BC is doing wrong and/or is not getting real chances to play.

While Master Geno made a few positive comments about Kyla yesterday, I just don’t see it. She still commits far too many fouls and always looks to take the charge. I mean she is a solid 6’2” but is always falling on the floor. She never jumps straight up to contest or block a shot. While she spaces really well but out on the wing she can’t dribble penetrate like our other faster players, which BC can do. Kyla needs to either shoot the 3 or pass the ball back around. To me, solving our interior defensive concerns against the likes of a Baylor, Texas and MSU should have BC involved. Heck at least it’s 5 productive fouls in 5e worst case.
Again, I know what a favorite Kyla is and deservedly so for all her hard work, however our immediate post defense needs someone more skilled.

Now that said, I still think Geno is bemoaning a lack of depth too much. He has it and wants it to match his top 6, which will come with time and playing experience. See Crystal Dangerfield, KLS, Pheesa, Stewie, Mo...

Unless it’s purely related to her injured knee, I just don’t get it. Touly appears to have a wonderful attitude and, as you point out, she moves well on the court. Time is running out to give her the opportunity to contribute this year.

 

[EricLA]

Unless it’s purely related to her injured knee, I just don’t get it. Touly appears to have a wonderful attitude and, as you point out, she moves well on the court. Time is running out to give her the opportunity to contribute this year.

Great comments and questions. Has anyone asked Geno directly, or the horde about this? One thing that may be holding her back, so to speak, is that we lack quality guard depth, not post depth.

By that I mean Z comes off the bench and is a post player. If Batouly comes in, who goes out? Also, she's mobile, but seems like she operates mostly in the post. That seems like it would clog up the lane for Z, Pheesa and Gabby, who are frequently on the court together. Adding a completely different player at this time could disrupt the way the core 6 flow when on the court together...

Still, I agree with you - she was talented coming out of HS, had a good freshman year at Kentucky, and given our lack of quality bench players at this time, she seems like she would be a great option... Honestly, I don't have answers, just more questions...

 

[Crossover]

For me, the key issue isn't whether Batouly is the first, second, third, or nth player off the bench. What matters, once she's fully recovered and in game shape, is that she is available to battle the aircraft carriers we may encounter in the NCAA tourney. Although we have an abundance of posts , we need someone who can bang with the big bodies down low.

 

[oldude]

Great comments and questions. Has anyone asked Geno directly, or the horde about this? One thing that may be holding her back, so to speak, is that we lack quality guard depth, not post depth.

By that I mean Z comes off the bench and is a post player. If Batouly comes in, who goes out? Also, she's mobile, but seems like she operates mostly in the post. That seems like it would clog up the lane for Z, Pheesa and Gabby, who are frequently on the court together. Adding a completely different player at this time could disrupt the way the core 6 flow when on the court together...

Still, I agree with you - she was talented coming out of HS, had a good freshman year at Kentucky, and given our lack of quality bench players at this time, she seems like she would be a great option... Honestly, I don't have answers, just more questions...

Agree that I’d rather have another guard for depth, but MW is not a guard, although clearly more of a wing.

As far as Batouly being on the floor with Z, I see Batouly’s role primarily setting picks and crashing the boards, while Z has the opportunity to operate both outside and inside.

I also think Batouly would be invaluable against teams with 2 BIGS like TX or Baylor, or a dominant BIG that draws lots of fouls like SC or MS St.

You can never have enough big bodies.

 

[MD#12Fan]

I contend that UConn can actually play with 5. College basketball games are only 40 minutes long with constant stops and starts. IMO with just our starting 5 and nothing else we are already better than last year. They play one, maybe two games a week. Bill Walton in an interview on NPR once said that college basketball players do not need to be taken out to rest. I believe Geno knows this.
IMO Geno's trying to see if he has substitutes that will actually pick his team up, improve what may be happening on the floor. I would argue that that almost never happens. The 5 starters are all among the best players in America and they play as a cohesive unit. Another motivation for Geno to substitute is of course player development. UConn is a program that rarely experiences "rebuilding" when players graduate. So, we naturally care about Megan.
I think the Boneyard spends too much energy harping on these subs. Either they get it or they WON'T, then someone else will.
Geno is looking for sparks. Even Z is inconsistent in providing that and UConn isn't in the business of trading baskets with people. (I agree that she saved the day at Notre Dame)

 

[Coach]

I contend that UConn can actually play with 5. College basketball games are only 40 minutes long with constant stops and starts. IMO with just our starting 5 and nothing else we are already better than last year. They play one, maybe two games a week. Bill Walton in an interview on NPR once said that college basketball players do not need to be taken out to rest. I believe Geno knows this.
IMO Geno's trying to see if he has substitutes that will actually pick his team up, improve what may be happening on the floor. I would argue that that almost never happens. The 5 starters are all among the best players in America and they play as a cohesive unit. Another motivation for Geno to substitute is of course player development. UConn is a program that rarely experiences "rebuilding" when players graduate. So, we naturally care about Megan.
I think the Boneyard spends too much energy harping on these subs. Either they get it or they WON'T, then someone else will.
Geno is looking for sparks. Even Z is inconsistent in providing that and UConn isn't in the business of trading baskets with people. (I agree that she saved the day at Notre Dame)

Interesting idea. Are there any college teams that play only 5? I can't think of one.

 

[oldude]

I contend that UConn can actually play with 5. College basketball games are only 40 minutes long with constant stops and starts. IMO with just our starting 5 and nothing else we are already better than last year. They play one, maybe two games a week. Bill Walton in an interview on NPR once said that college basketball players do not need to be taken out to rest. I believe Geno knows this.
IMO Geno's trying to see if he has substitutes that will actually pick his team up, improve what may be happening on the floor. I would argue that that almost never happens. The 5 starters are all among the best players in America and they play as a cohesive unit. Another motivation for Geno to substitute is of course player development. UConn is a program that rarely experiences "rebuilding" when players graduate. So, we naturally care about Megan.
I think the Boneyard spends too much energy harping on these subs. Either they get it or they WON'T, then someone else will.
Geno is looking for sparks. Even Z is inconsistent in providing that and UConn isn't in the business of trading baskets with people. (I agree that she saved the day at Notre Dame)

UConn has won championships playing primarily 6 players before, most notably during the 2014-15 season, but never only 5. While it’s certainly possible, it provides absolutely no margin for error due to injury, foul problems or just simply someone not playing well.

 

[Kurebeach5]

Spot on analysis. Batouly has shown glimpses of athleticism and instinct and offers that when playing truly solid front lines. That said, something must be going on at practice as she is almost universally the last one in every game. After Z, MW, to me, she Moore’s the most fluidly without hesitation or awkwardness of thinking “what do I do, oh yeah”...

While I consider myself a pretty good assessor of spacing, movement and athleticism, there are more enlightened members here that may be seeing something different and can opine what BC is doing wrong and/or is not getting real chances to play.

While Master Geno made a few positive comments about Kyla yesterday, I just don’t see it. She still commits far too many fouls and always looks to take the charge. I mean she is a solid 6’2” but is always falling on the floor. She never jumps straight up to contest or block a shot. While she spaces really well but out on the wing she can’t dribble penetrate like our other faster players, which BC can do. Kyla needs to either shoot the 3 or pass the ball back around. To me, solving our interior defensive concerns against the likes of a Baylor, Texas and MSU should have BC involved. Heck at least it’s 5 productive fouls in 5e worst case.
Again, I know what a favorite Kyla is and deservedly so for all her hard work, however our immediate post defense needs someone more skilled.

Now that said, I still think Geno is bemoaning a lack of depth too much. He has it and wants it to match his top 6, which will come with time and playing experience. See Crystal Dangerfield, KLS, Pheesa, Stewie, Mo...

Not leaving your feet trying to block every shot is actually the prudent way to play defense.Less likely to commit a foul and you'll never give up inside rebounding position. I appreciate Kyla but certainly see her limitations. I would love to see Touly get extended minutes but I have NO problem admitting Geno is a LOT smarter than me !!

 

[DEpup]

I would also suspect Camara still has some fear about her knee that probably makes her tentative in practice hence Geno's decisions about getting into the game. From my experience with other injuries of my own, it is one thing when the doctor says you are fine and another when your mind starts believing it and you can allow yourself to go all out.

 

[DefenseBB]

Not leaving your feet trying to block every shot is actually the prudent way to play defense.Less likely to commit a foul and you'll never give up inside rebounding position. I appreciate Kyla but certainly see her limitations. I would love to see Touly get extended minutes but I have NO problem admitting Geno is a LOT smarter than me !!

Duly noted, yet there are times you should go straight up. Kyla either is so backed in that the player makes an easy shot or is fouled by her anyway. Look at her fouls per minute played...it’s really bad.

Coaches develop favorites, and rightfully so, however perspective also needs to occur and that’s where his staff is supposed to come in to play. Kyla’s other intangibles are phenomenal and I really don’t mean to short change them here. My thought was she could potentially become a “Kat Westbeld” type of player, solid if unspectacular.

BC, as you agree offers more upside to contribute now. I have my fingers crossed...

 

[DEpup]

I don't think it is fair to compare Kyla to the other top 5 former recruits. She is on a different track because of the genetic gifts she was or was not given so measure the progress she has made without comparison. I see a lot of progress over last year so good for her. Who knows where she will be in 2 more years.

 

[HopJim]

I think her minutes are controlled indirectly by what the doctors are saying to the coaches.

It may be a Doctor-Dr. Geno. Playing an added 5+ minutes a game is unlikely to have any impact other than to help the team and help her get in the flow.

 

[oldude]

It may be a Doctor-Dr. Geno. Playing an added 5+ minutes a game is unlikely to have any impact other than to help the team and help her get in the flow.

Playing Touly an extra 5-10 minutes per game with the starters could have a tremendous impact come tournament time.

 

[paisan]

UConn has won championships playing primarily 6 players before, most notably during the 2014-15 season, but never only 5. While it’s certainly possible, it provides absolutely no margin for error due to injury, foul problems or just simply someone not playing well.

Let us not forget there is no Stewie on this team.

 

[oldude]

Let us not forget there is no Stewie on this team.

No Stewie. No Tuck. No Kiah S. No Steph. No Tina. No Kara. No Rebecca........

 

[enigmatic]

No Stewie. No Tuck. No Kiah S. No Steph. No Tina. No Kara. No Rebecca...

No Kelly Schumacher either

 

[drweo]

I contend that UConn can actually play with 5. College basketball games are only 40 minutes long with constant stops and starts. IMO with just our starting 5 and nothing else we are already better than last year. They play one, maybe two games a week. Bill Walton in an interview on NPR once said that college basketball players do not need to be taken out to rest. I believe Geno knows this.
IMO Geno's trying to see if he has substitutes that will actually pick his team up, improve what may be happening on the floor. I would argue that that almost never happens. The 5 starters are all among the best players in America and they play as a cohesive unit. Another motivation for Geno to substitute is of course player development. UConn is a program that rarely experiences "rebuilding" when players graduate. So, we naturally care about Megan.
I think the Boneyard spends too much energy harping on these subs. Either they get it or they WON'T, then someone else will.
Geno is looking for sparks. Even Z is inconsistent in providing that and UConn isn't in the business of trading baskets with people. (I agree that she saved the day at Notre Dame)

Bill Walton says a lot of things....

 

[Charliebball]

as I stated on the other Camara thread, she doesn't seem to be playing like the Camara of Kentucky days...............clearly her knee injury is limiting her movement.............I've noted some improvement over the past few weeks so one can only hope she will be closer to her old self by tournament time...........a healthy Camara would make a big difference indeed...............

 

[donalddoowop]

No Kelly Schumacher either

Or Farris (sp) or Chong. I believe UCONN won seven NC without Stewie.