UConn and WBB futures from an eager competitor's view

[easttexastrash]

Dawn will not tolerate "chucking" and I doubt Davis continues to be a chucker next season. She won't need to be and that was primarily the reason she ended up at SC.. she wanted to be around players with similar talent that could carry the load offensively. She carried Georgia Tech offensively, so she had to be a "chucker".

Davis just needs to be an offensive threat. She doesn't need to carry us next year, this will be Wilson's team. Davis will probably be our third offensive option next year, after Wilson, Coates... she (Gray as well) just needs to be there for the kickout to knock down threes, hit the midrange jumper or attack the basket. I expect both her and Gray's efficiency to increase next year.

I have watched Davis and there is no comparison to Diamond. IMO, Davis is a better player due to her strength. I would take her over Diamond any day of the week.

 

[UConnCat]

Thanks for the confidence. Some of the UConn fans here are thinking 5-10 losses. Some are thinking far fewer. I want to see the schedule, but, at most, I see 2 out of conference and 1 in the NCAA tourney. Yes, our MOV will be down from 39. To 32.

Next season's non-conference schedule is set. The number of conference games will drop from 18 to 16 games so that means 2 additional non-conference games. The opponents will be:

@ND
SC
Baylor
Texas (Mohegan)
@Maryland
Ohio State
Dayton
Depaul
@LSU
@Nebraska
@Florida State
@Kansas State
Chattanooga

Pretty daunting.

BTW, Geno said earlier this week that the key to next year's team could be Gabby Williams. If she makes as much progress in her junior year as she did in her sophomore year, he thinks next year's team will be really, really good.

 

[Plebe]

Next season's non-conference schedule is set. The number of conference games will drop from 18 to 16 games so that means 2 additional non-conference games. The opponents will be:

@ND
SC
Baylor
Texas (Mohegan)
@Maryland
Ohio State
Dayton
Depaul
@LSU
@Nebraska
@Florida State
@Kansas State
Chattanooga

Pretty daunting.

BTW, Geno said earlier this week that the key to next year's team could be Gabby Williams. If she makes as much progress in her junior year as she did in her sophomore year, he thinks next year's team will be really, really good.

That has gotta be the most impressive nonconference slate ever assembled. Tennessee used to wow people with their nonconference SOS, but this is amazing: all three of this year's fellow #1 seeds, two #2 seeds, and a #3 seed, plus four more NCAA tournament teams. The only non-tournament teams from this year are Dayton, LSU and Nebraska, each of which made the tournament in 2015 (and Dayton was an elite-8 team).

 

[Hoopz]

If Walzie is such a great coach why does he have to wait until Aurie's demise to take over the WBB world?

 

[TerpWomenFan]

I have watched Davis and there is no comparison to Diamond. IMO, Davis is a better player due to her strength. I would take her over Diamond any day of the week.

If Brenda had DD she would have turned her into a Marissa Coleman/Alyssa Thomas hybrid. Look at what Brenda did with SWK and DD has way more talent than SWK. I think the LV coach really screwed up with her.

 

[UcMiami]

If Brenda had DD she would have turned her into a Marissa Coleman/Alyssa Thomas hybrid. Look at what Brenda did with SWK and DD has way more talent than SWK. I think the LV coach really screwed up with her.

I disagree - I don't think DD is that good a shooter, and at this point very few players really change their shooting percentages that much - they can have an anomalous year and I suspect that is the case for SWK this year, but they don't go from career 29% or worse 3 point shooting to 40% let alone 50%. Brenda may have been able to reign in DD's excesses, and with that she might move from 40% to 45% or even 50% overall shooting, but I doubt the three point shooting would change even that much.

 

[xHunt3r]

I disagree - I don't think DD is that good a shooter, and at this point very few players really change their shooting percentages that much - they can have an anomalous year and I suspect that is the case for SWK this year, but they don't go from career 29% or worse 3 point shooting to 40% let alone 50%. Brenda may have been able to reign in DD's excesses, and with that she might move from 40% to 45% or even 50% overall shooting, but I doubt the three point shooting would change even that much.

It's completely possible for her to become a better shooter. Just off the top of head look at these two recent UConn players... Faris freshman year 27% > senior year 41.5%. Jefferson freshman year 26.6% > junior year 49.6%

 

[4evercard]

I've paid nothing but the highest respect for Geno, stating UConn would remain the national championship favorite until he retires. No where did I or any fool suggest anyone was going overtake Geno. I said it's going to be more competitive for him and Jeff Walz's program deserves respect as one of those who will be part of the challenge. I said absolutely nothing about Jeff Walz "taking over the WBB world"

If Walzie is such a great coach why does he have to wait until Aurie's demise to take over the WBB world?

 

[Ctpaul0825]

Joke is on you my friend, rumor has it that Waltz will take over for Geno when he retires.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Nice post, thanks. I think most here realize two things. First, Geno won't coach forever and second, true genius doesn't walk through the door very often. So I will be concerned when he finally retires because he is the truest genius this game has ever seen. I have no idea how to go about replacing him.

 

[connboy77]

Joke is on you my friend, rumor has it that Waltz will take over for Geno when he retires.

Don't start rumors!

 

[cbraarj]

As a UConn fan, I am actually looking forward (in a way) to watching UConn play some games next year where the other team will have more raw talent on the floor than they do. That will be the acid test of whether the coaching, teamwork, scouting, etc. for which UConn is justly famous will be enough to overcome the possibly superior talent of a few other teams. I think that it many cases it will be, but there will probably be a few losses to make things interesting. Next year, they might even have to leave New England for the NCAA Regionals.

This morning on ESPN, Rebecca was doing her WCBB "Barack-etology" interview with our President. Other than his picking Baylor to lose to FSU, the most interesting observation from that meeting is that for 5 of the 7 years that he has been in office, the UConn women's team has been visiting him as National Champions, and most people including him think that will soon become 6 of 8. (He could only remember one of the two "other" teams that visited him during his Presidency.)

And (not coincidentally) those two years (2011 and 2012) were the only two years when UConn did not clearly have the best talent in the land. 2011 was Maya's senior year, and both Tina and Renee had graduated. She had young (though promising) teammates like Stef, Tiffany, and Kelly, and they ALMOST beat ND in the National Semifinal, but not quite. The next year (2012) was the only post-Maya, pre-Stewie year, and again the talent as below its customary level but still good enough to ALMOST beat ND in that same game. If they had beaten ND in either year, they probably would not have won the championship game -- ND did not, in either year.

Even without Morgan next year, I think UConn might be able to win some of its games against more talented teams, and that (especially if it ends in an NC) will be a bigger feather in Geno's cap than any single NC that he has won to date.

If EDD stayed Connecticut would be playing for its 8th straight trip to the White House!

 

[cbraarj]

Nice post, thanks. I think most here realize two things. First, Geno won't coach forever and second, true genius doesn't walk through the door very often. So I will be concerned when he finally retires because he is the truest genius this game has ever seen. I have no idea how to go about replacing him.

IMO Geno will not let that happen because of what is happening with Tennessee.

 

[noirwestern]

Nice post, thanks. I think most here realize two things. First, Geno won't coach forever and second, true genius doesn't walk through the door very often. So I will be concerned when he finally retires because he is the truest genius this game has ever seen. I have no idea how to go about replacing him.

Thing is, he and his staff have put an extremely effective system into place and I have a hard time believing that whoever follows him would choose to deviate from that system. It's an eventuality, unless he dies in his tie-less shirtsleeves, that the man will retire. As meticulous as the planning for games has been for decades now it's really hard to believe that he will just up and decide to call it a day without any preparations being made for it.

 

[hardcorehusky]

It's completely possible for her to become a better shooter. Just off the top of head look at these two recent UConn players... Faris freshman year 27% > senior year 41.5%. Jefferson freshman year 26.6% > junior year 49.6%

Shooting percentage has as much to do, if not more than with shot selection as it does with shooting practice.

 

[Woof 101]

4evercard, I can appreciate some opposing fans posting here as most have nowhere else to go. Kind of like taking in the homeless. Their home boards or chat rooms confuse IQ with RPI and the few like yourself seek higher grounds. Having said that, your opening and buttering up statement was fine but the content of your statement was basically common sense that most here already know.
Now to why I reply.... BEAKBREATH his name is GENO! Many programs are gaining ground because he openly shares with anyone who cares to listen, some have followed suit others will never get it. Like them or not we do not refer to other coaches with names that sound like baby talk or a foreign word for something in a babies diaper. I simply can't lower myself to call your coach Jeffy or as someone else posted Waltzie, although Muffy is Muffy. What next, you will realize besides Jeffy that Dawny & Fresee are getting it done? On a side note any idea what has happened to Stringy and her program?

 

[4evercard]

In my 71+ years as a Card fan I've never been called, "beakbreath". But, being called anything breath takes me back a few years.

Walz actually asked Coach Auriamma if he could attend one of his practices about three or so years back as was reported by our newspaper.

So you read far enough into my post to note, "most here already know the content of my statement is common knowledge" of those with high WBB IQ willing to listen the lower beings?

Then I'll add Coach Auriamma is no God, though perhaps in his game, close. And though Husky WBB deserves its current palace among all the homeless, Husky fans should as you've suggested, maintain a new awareness and respect in the post Ms. Stewart years of all those aspiring to become a challenger to the Husky dominance. BTW, Coach Walz is in his ninth year of learning as a head coach. Was Coach Auriamma an instant success?

 

[4evercard]

Also, Woof, thank you for appreciating my purpose for jumping on The Boneyard here and there. I'll not deny I'm not seeking information from those having a greater appreciation and knowledge of WBB.

 

[UcMiami]

In my 71+ years as a Card fan I've never been called, "beakbreath". But, being called anything breath takes me back a few years.

Walz actually asked Coach Auriamma if he could attend one of his practices about three or so years back as was reported by our newspaper.

So you read far enough into my post to note, "most here already know the content of my statement is common knowledge" of those with high WBB IQ willing to listen the lower beings?

Then I'll add Coach Auriamma is no God, though perhaps in his game, close. And though Husky WBB deserves its current palace among all the homeless, Husky fans should as you've suggested, maintain a new awareness and respect in the post Ms. Stewart years of all those aspiring to become a challenger to the Husky dominance. BTW, Coach Walz is in his ninth year of learning as a head coach. Was Coach Auriamma an instant success?

He actually asked if he and his whole team could attend a practice and Geno said yes. It was the first year Walz was coaching there, and Uconn was spending an extra day in town because their next game was DePaul and they were making a three legged trip. Walz was trying to change the culture and he felt the whole team could benefit by watching how a really good team ran practice.

Not sure how this thread seems to wobble between respect and sniping - had no issue with the OP nor with statements since. I think Walz is a great game coach, he appears to be getting top quality recruits now which he wasn't earlier, and Louisville looks like it is a team that will be good for the foreseeable future. Will he win a NC - not an easy nut to crack, but he has as good a chance as most of the obvious contenders.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Thing is, he and his staff have put an extremely effective system into place and I have a hard time believing that whoever follows him would choose to deviate from that system. It's an eventuality, unless he dies in his tie-less shirtsleeves, that the man will retire. As meticulous as the planning for games has been for decades now it's really hard to believe that he will just up and decide to call it a day without any preparations being made for it.

I have no doubt you are correct that planning and preparations are and will continue to be made. I don't, however, believe you can plan genius, either arriving or departing. In the insurance business (I'm not in the insurance business so anyone who is should feel free to correct me) it's called an "Act of God," i.e., that for which humans, no matter how careful, can't plan.

Once, the team I was on needed to deliver a product (being developed at a hotel) by a time certain. The night before the scheduled delivery, as some members were tasked with putting the finishing touches on the product, others were dispatched to rental car company to secure a car. A reservation had been made for the following day but a concern arose: What if the location was out of cars when we arrived? Solution: Get one a day ahead. So a car was secured and parked in the hotel parking garage. As the team returned to the hotel after dinner, there were firetrucks around the hotel. No problem we were told, just an electrical fire, all rooms were fine. The next day as we went to get the car we were told there was a problem. The electrical had been in the parking garage elevator and our car was on the fifth floor. Planning and preparations won't cover everything.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

... Many programs are gaining ground because [Geno] openly shares with anyone who cares to listen...

There's a chasm between those who create and those who emulate. Adopting the habits of a successful enterprise does permit some early success which gives the appearance catching up but what happens if the copycat takes over the lead? Can the erstwhile follower be a successful leader? That certainly isn't a given. Leading takes a whole different skill set than following.