Transfer portal, Spring 2022 (merged thread)

[willtalk]

Yes & no.
There plenty of other teams in the mix that can also eliminate Scar.
Scar also has a target on their back, just like UConn does.
I think the amount of pre-season hype over Scar being #1 is getting overblown.
Plenty of other teams are reconfiguring and new stars are always being made & developing.
It's not a done deal any more than UConn will make it to the NC game again next year.
Anything can happen and the chance of a Scar - UConn rematch for the NC are slimmer than this past year.
Then the question becomes which team won't make it, will it be Scar or UConn, or both?

If Stanford or NCstate had beat UConn, then maybe Scar wouldn't have even won the NC.
In a single elimination tournament, any team can win a big game depending on how the ball bounces, the refs and a host of variables.
Even with a pre-season #1 poll ranking, Dawn will still need to pay $1 to buy a cup a coffee.

This is the new reality in WCBB and it is becoming more so every year. When the difference between top teams grows narrower the number of teams capable of winning on any given night increases. This is very evident in the men's game with the best teams often getting knocked off even before the final four. Anyone who understands the game realizes that players can have off as well as hot shooting games at any time. The proper alignment of those two factors make the outcome between two relatively close in talent teams highly dependent of circumstances. For example I posted before the Stanford game that UConn had a good chance of beating them if the Hall sisters had a cold shooting night and that is exactly what happened. If they were hot the outcome probably would have been different. Between teams that are relatively equal in talent things like that along with certain other factors can make difference between a win or a loss.

 

[Fossil]

Coco, you struck a nerve with me with Sissoko. I love aggressive long-lean-mobile players with a handle, who can finish under the basket and will play some defense. I know there will be posters that say we don't need any more forwards. That's their opinion and that's OK. IMO she would make UConn even more deeper and formidable. I'm greedy. I would love to see her on our team next season. She would carve out minutes for herself. She would give Geno another option. Who doesn't like lots of options? I like her. I'm feeling you on Sissoko.

If Connecticut knows something about Aubrey and her ability to play next year being negative then I could see The transfer for Minnesota however if Aubrey is healthy I think a low post player is more of a priority. Have a look at Brittany Smith from UCF. It seems as though all the big-name post players are heading elsewhere so a good second tier 4 with good experience motor and bounce could be the answer for the front court. Let the young Biggs Continue to develop over the summer and season.

 

[UConn79]

If Connecticut knows something about Aubrey and her ability to play next year being negative then I could see The transfer for Minnesota however if Aubrey is healthy I think a low post player is more of a priority. Have a look at Brittany Smith from UCF. It seems as though all the big-name post players are heading elsewhere so a good second tier 4 with good experience motor and bounce could be the answer for the front court. Let the young Biggs Continue to develop over the summer and season.

Like Smith from UCF !!

 

[nomdoux]

… Have a look at Brittany Smith from UCF…

Strong credentials. Liked what I saw in 2R game. Know she plays hard, defends, & is rugged/tough from Coach Abe’s influence & UCF style of play. Imagine Brittney will follow her to Georgia but would be nice get for Geno. This excerpt from Orlando Sentinel article impressive reporting her transfer portal entry:

“The Sixth [Woman] of the Year in the American Athletic Conference, Smith averaged 10 points and 6 rebounds in 23 minutes despite coming off the bench every game.

In the first round of the NCAA tournament against the Florida Gators, Smith scored a career-high 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting in just 25 minutes.”

 

[TeamFirst!]

Posted this in another thread but apparently Blackwell's decision is between Ole Miss, South Carolina and Baylor: Women's college basketball transfer portal tracker: Who entered and where they land

 

[UcMiami]

Whenever anyone talks about 'the team to beat' I think about 40-0 juggernaut Baylor 2012 national champ returning everyone and then not making it past the S16 in 2013. Big dominant center, too. Or this past year's defending champ Stanford with depth everywhere.

Smart coaches have to think about how any addition will effect development of the current roster, because the portal works both ways. Do you want a one or two year rental that will lead to the loss of of a freshman or sophomore next spring that just needs more development to become a better player?

Don't expect loyalty if you don't exhibit loyalty to those around you.

 

[TC22]

Whenever anyone talks about 'the team to beat' I think about 40-0 juggernaut Baylor 2012 national champ returning everyone and then not making it past the S16 in 2013. Big dominant center, too. Or this past year's defending champ Stanford with depth everywhere.

Smart coaches have to think about how any addition will effect development of the current roster, because the portal works both ways. Do you want a one or two year rental that will lead to the loss of of a freshman or sophomore next spring that just needs more development to become a better player?

Don't expect loyalty if you don't exhibit loyalty to those around you.

IN the case of SC you have to bring in an experienced PG. You have 4 starters back and your future at PG tore her ACL and is still rehabbing and the player that you had back up the PG this year decided to hit the portal. I don't think Dawn had any choice. We lost 5 players this year (4 guards) and are bringing in 2 freshmen and hopefully 2 upper classmen. We could lose 6 players next year if none of the seniors come back. I don't think Dawn really has any choice this year.

In our case it's a chance you have to take. If you're in the position to try to win a National Championship THIS year I don't think you can worry about the next year.

 

[tchalla1]

If Connecticut knows something about Aubrey and her ability to play next year being negative then I could see The transfer for Minnesota however if Aubrey is healthy I think a low post player is more of a priority. Have a look at Brittany Smith from UCF. It seems as though all the big-name post players are heading elsewhere so a good second tier 4 with good experience motor and bounce could be the answer for the front court. Let the young Biggs Continue to develop over the summer and season.

Your premise is certainly viable, based upon Aubrey's health for the coming season, the only problem with this is that the UConn staff may not know the status of Aubrey's health--back surgery is a dicey thing. I think they add another wing/forward and if Aubrey's recovery is sufficient, great, but don't bank on it...

 

[nomdoux]

Also, Aubrey has at least 2 more years of eligibility left counting COVID extension— perhaps 3 if this past season counts as a red shirt. So, time left for her development beyond strictly 2022-‘23.

 

[JoePgh]

Strong credentials. Liked what I saw in 2R game. Know she plays hard, defends, & is rugged/tough from Coach Abe’s influence & UCF style of play. Imagine Brittney will follow her to Georgia but would be nice get for Geno. This excerpt from Orlando Sentinel article impressive reporting her transfer portal entry:

“The Sixth [Woman] of the Year in the American Athletic Conference, Smith averaged 10 points and 6 rebounds in 23 minutes despite coming off the bench every game.

In the first round of the NCAA tournament against the Florida Gators, Smith scored a career-high 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting in just 25 minutes.”

According to Twitter, Brittney Smith has already announced her commitment to Georgia, following Coach Abe.

 

[UcMiami]

IN the case of SC you have to bring in an experienced PG. You have 4 starters back and your future at PG tore her ACL and is still rehabbing and the player that you had back up the PG this year decided to hit the portal. I don't think Dawn had any choice. We lost 5 players this year (4 guards) and are bringing in 2 freshmen and hopefully 2 upper classmen. We could lose 6 players next year if none of the seniors come back. I don't think Dawn really has any choice this year.

In our case it's a chance you have to take. If you're in the position to try to win a National Championship THIS year I don't think you can worry about the next year.

No question filling a roster hole from the portal makes sense, but it still comes at a potential cost. If Cardoso for example were in the portal this year I would hope Geno would be pursuing her as having a low post banger would fill a gap.

I do wonder how Cardoso, Feagin, and Amihere are feeling about their choices - great to have an NC, would have been nice if they were actually playing more minutes and with Saxton returning ...?

 

[sun]

Also, Aubrey has at least 2 more years of eligibility left counting COVID extension— perhaps 3 if this past season counts as a red shirt. So, time left for her development beyond strictly 2022-‘23.

Aubrey is an interesting subject because only the staff knows how she got injured and the extent of her injury.

For instance, if she got injured lifting weights then I could imagine that she may not want to risk doing as much weight training as she used to, or if she will want to do any at all.
If she was injured in a fall that's another reason that could affect her ability/desire to train as hard in the future, or to be available to perform at all times when needed, be it in a game or at practice.

Depending on what Geno knows or thinks, he would have a more informed opinion about whether she can be relied on to return next year at 100% or not.

Until I see her on next year's roster, as a fan I can't be sure if she will be back on the team, or able to perform at 100%.
Geno can't spill the beans about what he thinks, but his actions might be revealing, especially if he ends up adding another player before the next season begins as insurance.

 

[Carnac]

Wholeheartedly concur. Love Sissoko kid from what’s been posted. Absolute need for this team, regardless of incoming & returning size.

Hard to trust freshmen in major D1 games— esp against elite opponents. And our biggest national rivals feature not only formidable size but waves of it. Need to match such depth including seasoned players that can handle game speed & physicality based on their experience doing so, while kids acclimate & learn.

Finally, we just saw how devastating injuries can be this past year. Can’t afford to bare shallow (playable) roster risk again. Aside from Ice & Ayanna unknowns, unsure how quickly/much Amare will improve & Aubrey is a wildcard off back surgery. Consequently, another long, athletic, rebounding, defensive-minded, seasoned wing would look great on this team IMHO. 12 players would hardly be cumbersome or excessive; we started with 14 last season.

Agree 100%. Especially the part about elite opponents having size and experience and can come at you in waves. If you can't match that size and experience, you can easily get sucked under like a youngster in an ocean riptide.

I like nice “round” numbers too. A 12 player roster would be perfect. I know it's a longshot, but I really like Sissoko, and won’t give up on her until she commits. She would round out UConn’s 2022-2023 roster quite nicely.

Going forward, everytime I log onto the BY, I hope to be greeted by a post reading: Sissoko to UConn. For me that would be Christmas in April.

 

[oldude]

Aubrey is an interesting subject because only the staff knows how she got injured and the extent of her injury.

For instance, if she got injured lifting weights then I could imagine that she may not want to risk doing as much weight training as she used to, or if she will want to do any at all.
If she was injured in a fall that's another reason that could affect her ability/desire to train as hard in the future, or to be available to perform at all times when needed, be it in a game or at practice.

Depending on what Geno knows or thinks, he would have a more informed opinion about whether she can be relied on to return next year at 100% or not.

Until I see her on next year's roster, as a fan I can't be sure if she will be back on the team, or able to perform at 100%.
Geno can't spill the beans about what he thinks, but his actions might be revealing, especially if he ends up adding another player before the next season begins as insurance.

Speaking from experience. Back injuries don’t necessarily result from a single incident. They tend to be cumulative. I had a good 40 years of back spasms & strains before finally having back surgery in my 50’s. Glad I finally had the procedure. But for the life of me I cannot point to one single event that resulted in my back problems.

 

[Carnac]

Speaking from experience. Back injuries don’t necessarily result from a single incident. They tend to be cumulative. I had a good 40 years of back spasms & strains before finally having back surgery in my 50’s. Glad I finally had the procedure. But for the life of me I cannot point to one single event that resulted in my back problems.

You’ve got a witness. I have spasms and strains sporatically. It usually lasts for 3 days. Had one just last week.

 

[tchalla1]

Speaking from experience. Back injuries don’t necessarily result from a single incident. They tend to be cumulative. I had a good 40 years of back spasms & strains before finally having back surgery in my 50’s. Glad I finally had the procedure. But for the life of me I cannot point to one single event that resulted in my back problems.

True what you say about backs being accumulative, Oldude, but there are some of us whose back injuries are due to one singular incident for our back woes: Mine, the hit on an Air Force WR across the middle. Never been the same since...

 

[oldude]

True what you say about backs being accumulative, Oldude, but there are some of us whose back injuries are due to one singular incident for our back woes: Mine, the hit on an Air Force WR across the middle. Never been the same since...

Nowadays you would be thrown out of the game for targeting.

 

[tchalla1]

Nowadays you would be thrown out of the game for targeting.

Lol. You're absolutely correct: Strong safeties doing blindside hits nowadays on "defenseless receivers" would definitely draw the yellow and an ejection...

 

[Carnac]

If Connecticut knows something about Aubrey and her ability to play next year being negative then I could see The transfer for Minnesota however if Aubrey is healthy I think a low post player is more of a priority. Have a look at Brittany Smith from UCF. It seems as though all the big-name post players are heading elsewhere so a good second tier 4 with good experience motor and bounce could be the answer for the front court. Let the young Biggs Continue to develop over the summer and season.

I may be in the minority, but I too would like to see another post player added. I’ve already said so in a recent post. I commented that if DeBerry and Brady both play up to their perceived potential this coming year, UConn can beat SC or anyone else. Right now, that's an unknown. I’d like to add an experienced big for insurance.
Breaking news.... NCAA president Mark Emmert to step down in June 2023.

 

[TC22]

No question filling a roster hole from the portal makes sense, but it still comes at a potential cost. If Cardoso for example were in the portal this year I would hope Geno would be pursuing her as having a low post banger would fill a gap.

I do wonder how Cardoso, Feagin, and Amihere are feeling about their choices - great to have an NC, would have been nice if they were actually playing more minutes and with Saxton returning ...?

Why do you wonder if those big girls question their choices? Other than Amihere, the roster was stacked when Feagin and Cardoso committed. Geno was looking for a post player last year when Cardoso was in the portal. I think the one it affects is Amihere the most, but I also know she has worked at the 3 some this year and that’s where I believe she’ll get some extra minutes next year. She’s certainly quick enough and does better offensively in space. Here’s an interesting fact….Amihere has never had a summer in Columbia to get that extra work in with the team/individual work. Her first summer was FIBA, then Covid, then last year Olympics. This is her first one. I hope she can get some good work in with Coach Chmiel who is fantastic with our front court.

I get what you’re saying about Cardoso and Feagin and Amihere but they all knew that Saxton staying was a possibility before the year started. I wasn’t surprised by Saxton coming back.

The Transfer portal is here to stay for now. There’s no guarantee that if you transfer that you don’t get caught in the same jam you’re leaving. I’m sure Dawn, Geno, Jeff and every other coach out there will do all they can to get better, regardless of the talent they have. You either stay ahead or get left behind. All these other coaches are doing all they can to assemble teams to beat them. The athletes wanted this instantly Eligible transfer option. They got it.

 

[Bone Dog]

Geno may not have the same motivations to use the portal as Jeff and Dawn (and Kim and the rest), who may tend to look too narrowly at the end goal. Geno's already in the HoF, he's got plenty of glory. Other than Tara, every other coach may feel some pressure to make something happen in the short term and feel the need to shake the portal until something falls out.

In a recent post-game interview, he spoke quite feelingly about a sense of obligation to his players to give them the opportunity to win an NC. That isn't the mindset of a coach who'll focus all his energies to get new players. I'm sure the coaching staff is talking to loads of players in the portal. How could they not? They need to find out what kind of people they are. But I doubt very much they'll compromise any of their principles, or promise any PT, just to get someone to come.

I am sure they're much more focused on recruiting HS kids. I was watching video of a Benilde St Margaret's game from a couple months back, and who was there but Geno, sitting in the stands to watch Olivia Olson (2024) play. If he thinks she's got the right character, and is willing to play D with good energy, she'll be hearing from CD or Morgan or Jamelle if she hasn't already. I am always encouraged to hear that the recruiting operation is always percolating away in the background.

 

[TC22]

Geno may not have the same motivations to use the portal as Jeff and Dawn (and Kim and the rest), who may tend to look too narrowly at the end goal. Geno's already in the HoF, he's got plenty of glory. Other than Tara, every other coach may feel some pressure to make something happen in the short term and feel the need to shake the portal until something falls out.

In a recent post-game interview, he spoke quite feelingly about a sense of obligation to his players to give them the opportunity to win an NC. That isn't the mindset of a coach who'll focus all his energies to get new players. I'm sure the coaching staff is talking to loads of players in the portal. How could they not? They need to find out what kind of people they are. But I doubt very much they'll compromise any of their principles, or promise any PT, just to get someone to come.

I am sure they're much more focused on recruiting HS kids. I was watching video of a Benilde St Margaret's game from a couple months back, and who was there but Geno, sitting in the stands to watch Olivia Olson (2024) play. If he thinks she's got the right character, and is willing to play D with good energy, she'll be hearing from CD or Morgan or Jamelle if she hasn't already. I am always encouraged to hear that the recruiting operation is always percolating away in the background.

So….didn’t Geno recruit Dorka last year from the portal because he needed to shore up the front line? Dont you think Geno is doing what he can to find players to get back to winning a National Championship, even if that includes a transfer? I can’t speak about anybody else but Dawn isn’t going to promise anything to anybody. She’s Been out recruiting high schoolers already this spring too but if you have holes in your roster the transfer portal is a way to plug it. Anyway, it’s here and everybody needs to learn to navigate it.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Geno may not have the same motivations to use the portal as Jeff and Dawn (and Kim and the rest), who may tend to look too narrowly at the end goal. Geno's already in the HoF, he's got plenty of glory. Other than Tara, every other coach may feel some pressure to make something happen in the short term and feel the need to shake the portal until something falls out.

In a recent post-game interview, he spoke quite feelingly about a sense of obligation to his players to give them the opportunity to win an NC. That isn't the mindset of a coach who'll focus all his energies to get new players. I'm sure the coaching staff is talking to loads of players in the portal. How could they not? They need to find out what kind of people they are. But I doubt very much they'll compromise any of their principles, or promise any PT, just to get someone to come.

I am sure they're much more focused on recruiting HS kids. I was watching video of a Benilde St Margaret's game from a couple months back, and who was there but Geno, sitting in the stands to watch Olivia Olson (2024) play. If he thinks she's got the right character, and is willing to play D with good energy, she'll be hearing from CD or Morgan or Jamelle if she hasn't already. I am always encouraged to hear that the recruiting operation is always percolating away in the background.

If I'm not mistaken Cardoso, when she entered the transfer portal, contacted Geno about going to UCONN and Geno was interested but got harsh feedback from bigs already on the team and the in-coming bigs for next year! So he passed on her and she went to Dawn and SoCar! The rest as they say is history!

 

[Bone Dog]

So….didn’t Geno recruit Dorka last year from the portal because he needed to shore up the front line? Dont you think Geno is doing what he can to find players to get back to winning a National Championship, even if that includes a transfer? I can’t speak about anybody else but Dawn isn’t going to promise anything to anybody. She’s Been out recruiting high schoolers already this spring too but if you have holes in your roster the transfer portal is a way to plug it. Anyway, it’s here and everybody needs to learn to navigate it.

I'm pretty sure my earlier post said that I expect Geno is talking to lots of transfer candidates. Why would you think I'd said otherwise? Nor do I expect Dawn is doing anything differently, though I may have misspoken in including her among the rest. I merely commented on my sense of his motivations. Lots of folks here like to say that rival coaches are desperately focused on the portal, and they're probably right. But I don't think Geno approaches the portal in the same way, and we know this because of his various criticisms of the entire practice. This is the way the top programs, the ones that build for the longterm, behave.

If I'm not mistaken Cardoso, when she entered the transfer portal, contacted Geno about going to UCONN and Geno was interested but got harsh feedback from bigs already on the team and the in-coming bigs for next year! So he passed on her and she went to Dawn and SoCar! The rest as they say is history!

This is exactly my point. He pays attention to the culture of his team. I imagine he asks them if they think someone will fit in with the team. This doesn't mean they get veto power, but it is revealing. You'll notice that they didn't object to Dorka. I recall a few early interviews with Liv and Dorka from last summer that showed how close they were. Dorka had a funny story about their first game against each other as freshmen and pics they'd taken together.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

For whatever it's worth:

 

[hoophuskee]

Why do you wonder if those big girls question their choices? Other than Amihere, the roster was stacked when Feagin and Cardoso committed. Geno was looking for a post player last year when Cardoso was in the portal. I think the one it affects is Amihere the most, but I also know she has worked at the 3 some this year and that’s where I believe she’ll get some extra minutes next year. She’s certainly quick enough and does better offensively in space. Here’s an interesting fact….Amihere has never had a summer in Columbia to get that extra work in with the team/individual work. Her first summer was FIBA, then Covid, then last year Olympics. This is her first one. I hope she can get some good work in with Coach Chmiel who is fantastic with our front court.

I get what you’re saying about Cardoso and Feagin and Amihere but they all knew that Saxton staying was a possibility before the year started. I wasn’t surprised by Saxton coming back.

The Transfer portal is here to stay for now. There’s no guarantee that if you transfer that you don’t get caught in the same jam you’re leaving. I’m sure Dawn, Geno, Jeff and every other coach out there will do all they can to get better, regardless of the talent they have. You either stay ahead or get left behind. All these other coaches are doing all they can to assemble teams to beat them. The athletes wanted this instantly Eligible transfer option. They got it.

I doubt see Amihere as a sf. Maybe she is but imo it's a waste. Why wouldn't teams sag off of her when she gets the ball from the outside? How is she at passing in the post? How about driving and dishing? When she puts the ball on the floor toward the basket certainly there will be quicker guards that sluff off their player they are defending on the floor that attack her dribble; so she has to be well passing out of it. How is she helping Boston with space in the lane if you sag off of her? And she is so big if she bumps into anyone much smaller than her while she is attacking the basket and they do the "Notre Dame flop," how does that help SC? Raven Johnson or Cooke drives the lane and Amihere's defender helps out because she is sagging- they pass the ball back outside to Amihere- how is that that much helpful vs a Small Forward that can actually knock down a jumper?

Also, I think there has to a fine line with UCONN getting players from the portal vs recruiting. If you get a reputation of aggressively bringing in players to overrecruit your freshmen that are players in the 6-20 H/S rating range, then after a time why would the 6-20 bother coming to UCONN from the beginning as a frosh rather than play for a school their frosh year and then see if Geno or any other super coach wants them their next several?

High school kids are going to notice the trend that you are setting. And with that said, why can't a freshman be a huge contributor for a title team? Think of Edwards freshman year, would it have been so terrible to have a player like her as a frosh come off the bench as being your 3rd or 4th best inside player? She was really UCONN's number 2 inside player her frosh year and maybe number 1 to a degree and she was still a bit raw. Yet a player that is ranked 5/6 10 range could possibly be better than The Frosh Edwards - so - why can't they fill the role with a star frosh or maybe give "a DeBerry type" a shot that actually wanted to be a UCONN Husky from the start rather than try to aggressively over-recruit them?

 

[TC22]

If I'm not mistaken Cardoso, when she entered the transfer portal, contacted Geno about going to UCONN and Geno was interested but got harsh feedback from bigs already on the team and the in-coming bigs for next year! So he passed on her and she went to Dawn and SoCar! The rest as they say is history!

The link to SC is Raven Johnson. They played on the same AAU team. She came on her visit and hit it off with our bigs and committed on the spot. I’m glad she did. She made good use of her time and helped us win the Championship.

 

[TC22]

I doubt see Amihere as a sf. Maybe she is but imo it's a waste. Why wouldn't teams sag off of her when she gets the ball from the outside? How is she at passing in the post? How about driving and dishing? When she puts the ball on the floor toward the basket certainly there will be quicker guards that sluff off their player they are defending on the floor that attack her dribble; so she has to be well passing out of it. How is she helping Boston with space in the lane if you sag off of her? And she is so big if she bumps into anyone much smaller than her while she is attacking the basket and they do the "Notre Dame flop," how does that help SC? Raven Johnson or Cooke drives the lane and Amihere's defender helps out because she is sagging- they pass the ball back outside to Amihere- how is that that much helpful vs a Small Forward that can actually knock down a jumper?

Also, I think there has to a fine line with UCONN getting players from the portal vs recruiting. If you get a reputation of aggressively bringing in players to overrecruit your freshmen that are players in the 6-20 H/S rating range, then after a time why would the 6-20 bother coming to UCONN from the beginning as a frosh rather than play for a school their frosh year and then see if Geno or any other super coach wants them their next several?

High school kids are going to notice the trend that you are setting. And with that said, why can't a freshman be a huge contributor for a title team? Think of Edwards freshman year, would it have been so terrible to have a player like her as a frosh come off the bench as being your 3rd or 4th best inside player? She was really UCONN's number 2 inside player her frosh year and maybe number 1 to a degree and she was still a bit raw. Yet a player that is ranked 5/6 10 range could possibly be better than The Frosh Edwards - so - why can't they fill the role with a star frosh or maybe give "a DeBerry type" a shot that actually wanted to be a UCONN Husky from the start rather than try to aggressively over-recruit them?

Amihere has a nice outside shot - she just doesn’t shoot it often. She’s a terrific passer which is one of the reasons sh played PG for us when Henny was hurt earlier in the year. Dawn isn’t aggressively over-recruiting anybody but if an opportunity for us to get better presents itself she’s going to check it out I’m sure.

Freshmen absolutely can help a title team. When Boston/Cooke/Beal/Amihere were freshmen 3 of them started and we were a title contender until Covid shut everything down.

 

[HopJim]

What you say is absolutely correct if they are willing to get in there and fight for that rebound. However, Geno does not readily play first year players unless they demonstrate extraordinary hard work and skills. Caroline Ducharme would have been getting slivers on her ass unless the team did not have all of the injuries and absences.

The comment about Brown came from a question, paraphrasing "What do we need or do if one of our bigs is injuried?" Similar to Caroline this past year, we may need to put in a frosh. Seems like if the sub is a transfer, half the Boneyard jumps in and says how difficult it is for a new player to learn the UConn system. If we consider a frosh, the other half of the Boneyard brings up the same issue. Likely all depends upon the player, the team we play, and where we are in the year. My season's end the past few years, we had frosh like Edwards, Azzi, Paige, and Caroline all doing well their first year at UConn. No reason to think future frosh won't have similar success.

 

[Majic Hands]

True what you say about backs being accumulative, Oldude, but there are some of us whose back injuries are due to one singular incident for our back woes: Mine, the hit on an Air Force WR across the middle. Never been the same since...

Seeing guys large than me in casts & crutches in JR High is one reason wrestling was the sport for me.

Since completing massage therapy training in 91 I haven't watched much football.

I think there are a lot of men, unfortunately sharing a similar life experience as you.