UCONN...High level talent...

[Two Sheds]

So sorry to read all the Geno forgot how to recruit, forgot how to substitute, forgot how to coach and the only I coach ever to win the national title 11 times and get to the finals how many. find us a coach who is better, then lets hire him or her. Oh no lets have the fans recruit and coach. Stop it please !

So sorry to read all the Geno forgot how to recruit, forgot how to substitute, forgot how to coach and the only I coach ever to win the national title 11 times and get to the finals how many. find us a coach who is better, then lets hire him or her. Oh no lets have the fans recruit and coach. Stop it please !

I share your concerns about Geno, as he has failed miserably in recruiting, retaining talent, player development, as well as gametime coaching adjustments exposing deficiencies at the top of the UCONN Program.

I know the diehard UCONN Women's Basketball fans love to fall back on the THE GREATEST WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH EVER trope when someone has the audacity to question the man behind the curtain. I understand. The success of the UCONN program, and the LEGEND OF THE WIZARD OF GREEN ACRES, was built on the backs of Taurasi, Moore, and Stewart. I guess having those three on your team was the product of really good recruiting, but having superstars on your team, who can carry the team on their shoulders and repeatedly win National Championships, doesn't necessarily translate to GREAT BASKETBALL GENIUS. Remember, "we've got Diana and they don't". Yes, you also had Maya and Brianna and they didn't.

Players win championships. UCONN has 11. Coaches coach, and when they don't have superstars on their teams, well, the word ordinary comes to mind.

Having said this, UCONN still may surprise some people in March because they are an incredibly talented team thas hasn't played up to their potential yet.

South Carolina should be interesting.

 

[Lucelab113]

IMO the problem is far more lack of strength and length than size.

 

[Rb335]

I always thought the issue was that UConn tends to attract more finesse players (most recently Collier & Samuelson). On this years iteration, Williams, ONO, Makurat, and Crystal don’t really seek contact. I thought prior to last night that Oregon was mainly a finesse team....Hence I really wasn’t worried. So this was a bit perplexing.

I think more than just size contributed to the points in the paint. A big portion of it was communication breakdowns. But yes, additional size in the next few years will be a great addition and help with rebounding.

 

[SCGamecock]

UConn has had some pretty big recruiting misses over the last few years as far as post players but you've also had successes (i.e. snatching ONO from SC, which in turn probably lead to SC turning up the heat on Boston and landing her). Recruiting is all about getting what you can get in that moment, sure you have to look ahead to the future but you go into it knowing that what you land in one class may affect what you land in the next.. The days of UConn landing whoever it wants and stocking the bench with top 10 D1 players are mostly gone, in my opinion.. there are just too many options and too many good players now.

The woes in the paint are real, I get it. But it'll be short lived.. you have a strong wing in Aaliyah Edwards on the way and two versatile posts in Deberry and Brady coming in the following years.

Not to mention... you have Paige Bueckers already in the bag and Azzi Fudd will more than likely head that way as well. College is still a guard's game in my opinion and you have one of the best in a long time heading that way next year and another one probably the year after.

 

[dogged1]

Careful, @meyers7 , you could lose your head on this issue.

 

[Plebe]

It sucks.

There, I said it. But hey, if Geno can be blunt enough to say "our recruiting sucked", why can't we?

UConn fans, many of us anyway, are not into consolation prizes. We've been spoiled to that. This ain't horseshoes or hand grenades. It's painful in retrospect to see that 2017, which was expected to be our "down year" with no returning All-Americans coming off the Stewie era, has turned out to be our best team in the past 4 years.

UConn's interior play in the 3 years after Stewie and Tuck was cobbled together with a converted but dynamic post player in Gabby, a reluctant, underutilized post player in Stevens, and of course the ultra-smooth yet still undersized Napheesa. All three of them are gone. The well-documented costly misses in recruiting over the past 3 years are now showing plainly on the court. As a result, the recruits that Geno did succeed in getting are being asked to do too much to compensate for what we don't have.

There was hope that Olivia would make a quantum leap this season. There was hope that Batouly would finally be healthy and contribute. There was hope that Adebayo provide a much-needed infusion of paint presence. Pains me to say it, but we are 0 for 3 at this point of the season.

Does it mean we can't knock off some good teams? Of course not. But it will take a degree of confidence and execution that, frankly, we're still hoping to see. Here's to hope

 

[Bama fan]

Are we really doing this again?

I just wish it was only again. but is has proven to be more still. It never stops. It is a relentless, indefagitable, unstoppable leviathan that will surely consume all of our sanity.

 

[Longtime fan]

Unfortunately, they have not been able to recruit size. ONO is developing nicely, but she has had issues with picking up early fouls. Of course, she is invariably pulled early by the Wizard of Green Acres, whose substitution pattern is woefully lacking in imagination. ONO is UCONN'S only player with size, and although AG plays bigger because of her athleticism, offensively she just isn't big enough, or creative enough at this early stage in her development, to make an impact.

UCONN was thoroughly dominated in the paint against Oregon, (yes, OU ran great offense, their guards penetrate and everyone passes well) and, OU is big, athletic, and skilled. For UCONN to compete in WCBB today, they need more size.

Recruiting issue?

Let's be more direct; Aubrey can't make a shot, shoot free throws, or finish lay-ups. Until she can do all three, there is no point having her on the floor. Most of the turnovers she generates ( which are exciting and encouraging) are simply given right back, due to her offensive inadequacy. Sorry to say, but unless she materially adds to her game, she is trending toward being a fabulous athlete who is a terrible basketball player. The energy she brings to a game is welcome, but she isn't accomplishing anything of value.

Someone please explain to me why a superstar in high school ....all of a sudden ( same court, same basket, same ball ) ....can't make a shot, a free throw, or finish her lay-ups.

I don't get it. But it is what we are seeing.

And your answer is not allowed to be, " she's just a freshman." There are freshman all around the country who are making significant contributions. Regularly.

 

[Longtime fan]

It sucks.

There, I said it. But hey, if Geno can be blunt enough to say "our recruiting sucked", why can't we?

UConn fans, many of us anyway, are not into consolation prizes. We've been spoiled to that. This ain't horseshoes or hand grenades. It's painful in retrospect to see that 2017, which was expected to be our "down year" with no returning All-Americans coming off the Stewie era, has turned out to be our best team in the past 4 years.

UConn's interior play in the 3 years after Stewie and Tuck was cobbled together with a converted but dynamic post player in Gabby, a reluctant, underutilized post player in Stevens, and of course the ultra-smooth yet still undersized Napheesa. All three of them are gone. The well-documented costly misses in recruiting over the past 3 years are now showing plainly on the court. As a result, the recruits that Geno did succeed in getting are being asked to do too much to compensate for what we don't have.

There was hope that Olivia would make a quantum leap this season. There was hope that Batouly would finally be healthy and contribute. There was hope that Adebayo provide a much-needed infusion of paint presence. Pains me to say it, but we are 0 for 3 at this point of the season.

Does it mean we can't knock off some good teams? Of course not. But it will take a degree of confidence and execution that, frankly, we're still hoping to see. Here's to hope

And Aubrey may be about four light years away from what we thought she would be. At the moment, she can't make a shot ( her attempt against Oregon failed to touch the backboard ) , her performance at the free throw line is dismal ( 1-4 clip against Oregon ), and she can't finish a lay-up. I think she has failed to convert about eight lay-ups in the last two games, despite her height, jumping ability, speed and athleticism.

So she may turn out to be a marginal recruit as well. Just because she has great physical tools does not necessarily mean she will be a great basketball player. She was in High School. But it is not translating to Division I college ball. Will it ever?

 

[Longtime fan]

It sucks.

There, I said it. But hey, if Geno can be blunt enough to say "our recruiting sucked", why can't we?

UConn fans, many of us anyway, are not into consolation prizes. We've been spoiled to that. This ain't horseshoes or hand grenades. It's painful in retrospect to see that 2017, which was expected to be our "down year" with no returning All-Americans coming off the Stewie era, has turned out to be our best team in the past 4 years.

UConn's interior play in the 3 years after Stewie and Tuck was cobbled together with a converted but dynamic post player in Gabby, a reluctant, underutilized post player in Stevens, and of course the ultra-smooth yet still undersized Napheesa. All three of them are gone. The well-documented costly misses in recruiting over the past 3 years are now showing plainly on the court. As a result, the recruits that Geno did succeed in getting are being asked to do too much to compensate for what we don't have.

There was hope that Olivia would make a quantum leap this season. There was hope that Batouly would finally be healthy and contribute. There was hope that Adebayo provide a much-needed infusion of paint presence. Pains me to say it, but we are 0 for 3 at this point of the season.

Does it mean we can't knock off some good teams? Of course not. But it will take a degree of confidence and execution that, frankly, we're still hoping to see. Here's to hope

And there was hope that Aubrey Griffen would be a superstar, and force her way into the starting line-up.

 

[Chax]

You are comparing unproven newbies with big, experienced, broadly skilled Oregon players. Sebally and Hebard didn't become who they are 6 months before their freshman year.

Some UConn fans have a tendency to do this incessantly. For example, one of the poster's you've already engaged with in this thread was shouting from the rooftops that Aubrey Griffin was going to come in this year and lead the team in scoring from day one.

[ ]

 

[Two Sheds]

I just wish it was only again. but is has proven to be more still. It never stops. It is a relentless, indefagitable, unstoppable leviathan that will surely consume all of our sanity.

An antibiotic resistant, endlessly mutating pathogen. Just when it appears to have been contained, the anguished cries echo through frigid New England night. Who this time mother?

 

[Martin]

He didn't forget how to recruit, but he did have back-to-back disappointing recruiting classes. He is paying the price this year and possibly next year for the bad current senior and junior classes. It happens.

Well if Katie Lou and Collier are ahead of you on the depth chart you aren’t going to play much so you go somewhere else where you get playing time

 

[UcMiami]

Uconn has been to the last 11 final fours, the next longest streak is 5 held by Uconn and tied by LSU and ND. The next longest current streak is 2 by ND (which likely isn't making the tournament this year) and Baylor and Oregon at 1 which they likely extend to 2 this year.

We as Uconn fans have had it very good. This year that streak of 11 FF may end, but we still have a good team and will be in the tournament (unlike ND) and will have a decent chance of extended to 12 FF even if we are not favored to do so. We have lost two games to the current #1/2 team and the current #3/3 team. We have one more game that we may lose to the current #2/1 team, in which case we will have likely lost to the top three ranked teams - not what we are used to but not a disaster. Some of us remember the tragedy of 2005-2007, 3 years without a FF and some probably remember the devestation of 97-99 another 3 year streak where we wondered if we would ever get to another FF let alone win a second NC. All our visitors from other teams probably have a hard time understanding the angst we all feel!

This year's team is a bit of an anomaly - it is young and does not have any player who has won a FF game on it for the first time in 11 years. It has good talent, but is struggling for consistency - its post presence is headlined by a sophomore who is still a developmental player and can be overpowered by stronger more experienced players. There are some serious couch coaches posting here that know Geno has completely lost it and cannot even get the right players on the court, and can't believe the balls up he has made of recruiting. Others might just believe there is a cycle in college sports that is hard to consistently buck.

I understand that having that glorious run with Stewart, Jefferson, and Tuck followed by the Gaby, Kia, Lou, and Pheesa years have spoiled people, but get a grip. Visit ND (8-14, 3-7 in ACC) for a day to see how the rest of the world lives.

 

[enigmatic]

Geno is doing the best with what he has. Like minimal posters have said on this board, we could be in the gauntlet that ND is trapped in at the moment but fact is WERE NOT. The growing pains are there but here we are still a team in contention for a NC even if we've taken our lapses and possibly more as the regular season goes along.

If Geno can say full fledgedly that recruiting has been a miss (he sure said so in the OU post press) than that's something that just has to be accepted for all it's worth. A detriment it may be but I'm grateful that we still got MW, CW, and ONO up to Storrs. I look forward with excitement and anxiousness what the 2020 class can bring next year but I will only focus on what we can accomplish with the rest of this season. Already looking into next year makes no sense to me because it's like saying I've already given up on this years team at this point.

 

[baggerbob]

Geno is doing the best with what he has. Like minimal posters have said on this board, we could be in the gauntlet that ND is trapped in at the moment but fact is WERE NOT. The growing pains are there but here we are still a team in contention for a NC even if we've taken our lapses and possibly more as the regular season goes along.

If Geno can say full fledgedly that recruiting has been a miss (he sure said so in the OU post press) than that's something that just has to be accepted for all it's worth. A detriment it may be but I'm grateful that we still got MW, CW, and ONO up to Storrs. I look forward with excitement and anxiousness what the 2020 class can bring next year but I will only focus on what we can accomplish with the rest of this season. Already looking into next year makes no sense to me because it's like saying I've already given up on this years team at this point.

Megan is a nice player, but the one problem she has is not a good passer. Last year she had more turnovers then assists. This year she has almost as many turnovers as assists. Almost 3 turnovers per game.

 

[nwhoopfan]

the next longest streak is 5 held by Uconn and tied by LSU and ND.

and Stanford

 

[hoophuskee]

It sucks.



UConn fans, many of us anyway, are not into consolation prizes. We've been spoiled to that. This ain't horseshoes or hand grenades. It's painful in retrospect to see that 2017, which was expected to be our "down year" with no returning All-Americans coming off the Stewie era, has turned out to be our best team in the past 4 years.



Does it mean we can't knock off some good teams? Of course not. But it will take a degree of confidence and execution that, frankly, we're still hoping to see. Here's to hope

Speak for yourself. Some of us aren't spoiled. In part because we dont look at 2 seaons's of 36-1 whereby losing in last seconds as "painful" in the manner than you are implying. Unless you mean "heartbreaking" = "Painful?"

Sorry but I think there are a lot of us who appreciate 36-1 teams and FF teams. That's awesome/ It's not title or bust for some of us. That's the coaches problems. .

I think the problem with some posters is that they are trying too hard to be "Coach Auriemma." Yes talk about his tactics and everything - which is fun talk. But for anyone to suggest "He has lost it" / "has got to change" or calling UCONN "painful" other than referring to "heartbreaking losses" overall then I think those fans/posters are in part or in combo spoiled or trying too hard to be the coach.

Years ago - I love Bob Picozzi but he was calling a game and the opposing team who wasn't very good in a not os close game scored a basket on a fastbreak. He said "UCONN fans can't be happy about that." I always thought that comment odd in a game UCONN was winning comfortably. He felt the need to highlight that on TV as if I was a coach. But I'm not a coach. I don't have to be told that I should be unhappy about 1 play in a game the opposing makes while UCONN is comfortably winning.

Same with the past 4 years - yeah we're flawed - but I can still appreciate a Final Four Team even if they don't go "197-0. "

 

[mbr33ct]

Will these same negative doomsayers...Geno must go, Geno can't recruit anymore, the game has passed Geno by posters be back next year to praise Geno and not bury him? ...not really, they'll find other reasons.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Yes, this team needs more size, but what I'm most disappointed in the team this year is Evelyn Adebayo has not been the player she was last year. She hasn't been productive when playing the lower tier AAC teams which is similar to the teams she played against last year at Murray St. I had visions that she would be the 5th starter by mid season and help with rebounding and scoring low post baskets. It obvious when she's on the floor, she doesn't know the offense and appears to be thinking where should I be or what should I be doing now. Now I'm hoping that Batouly Camara will be healthy and productive off the bench in the last eight games of the Regular Season. IMO the team needs Evelyn and/or Batouly to contribute if the team is to get to the Final Four.

 

[meyers7]

Careful, @meyers7 , you could lose your head on this issue.

Or take 3 arrows to the chest.

 

[meyers7]

Uconn has been to the last 11 final fours, the next longest streak is 5 held by Uconn and tied by LSU and ND. The next longest current streak is 2 by ND (which likely isn't making the tournament this year) and Baylor and Oregon at 1 which they likely extend to 2 this year.

and Stanford

Just a couple corrections here.

UCONN has been to the last 12 FF's. 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 (12)
Also 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 (5)

ND - 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 (5)
Stanford - 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 (5)
LSU - 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 (5)

LaTech - 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 (4)

Tenn - 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 (4) and 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 (4) and 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 (4)

There are a few with 3 in a row.

 

[BBallF]

There are several valid points made in this thread and then again several ones that are questionable. I am highlighting what I think are the major ones. For ONO to have a bigger body at the 4 position next year beside her, even if only part time, will definitely improve her game immediately, both offensively and defensively. There are countless examples of the bigger pair underneath in both men's and women's basketball. On the other hand, the assertion that women's basketball is still a guard's game is questionable. The last 3 NCs have been Baylor with Kelani Brown at 6'7", Lauren Cox at 6'4", and N. Smith at 6'2" underneath, ND with B Turner at 6'3" and Jessica Shepard at 6'4", and SC with A'Ja Wilson at a solid 6'4" and she was not alone. While ND won it because of the play of Arike, they would not have been in that position without the big bodies. The players have become bigger, more mobile and stronger in women's basketball year after year and the necessity of a larger inside game was never more evident than in our two losses this season. I would put our guards, which really includes Meg, CD, CW and Ania, against anyone in the country, including Oregon, but you can't shoot 3s and jumpers and win against layups, offensive rebounds and put backs and command of the defensive glass. Oregon's bigs killed us and so did Baylor's. I also think it incorrect to say that Meg is a bad passer because of her turnovers. She is second on the team in assists, only 9 in total behind CD. Many of her turnovers, which she is surely working on, were not passes but rather dribbling miscues, walks, or just losing the ball. She does throw errant passes but usually against the zone when she is trying to force and her passes can get away from her. Expect to see a lot of zone from here on in. It's the best way to defend a smaller, faster team all of which goes back to the lack of size dimension. There is still a lot of basketball left. The goal here is for this team, with the inherent weaknesses that have been very well pointed out in this thread, to be as good as it can be come mid March. The question is whether that will be enough to get us to the FF if we have to play one of the bigger, higher ranked teams in the Elite 8. I trust Geno and crew to get us there. He has a pretty decent track record.

 

[cbraarj]

Let's be more direct; Aubrey can't make a shot, shoot free throws, or finish lay-ups. Until she can do all three, there is no point having her on the floor. Most of the turnovers she generates ( which are exciting and encouraging) are simply given right back, due to her offensive inadequacy. Sorry to say, but unless she materially adds to her game, she is trending toward being a fabulous athlete who is a terrible basketball player. The energy she brings to a game is welcome, but she isn't accomplishing anything of value.

Someone please explain to me why a superstar in high school ....all of a sudden ( same court, same basket, same ball ) ....can't make a shot, a free throw, or finish her lay-ups.

I don't get it. But it is what we are seeing.

And your answer is not allowed to be, " she's just a freshman." There are freshman all around the country who are making significant contributions. Regularly.

Just because you are great in HS does not mean that player will be great in college especially on a major Div.1 team. In high school Aubreys athleticism was all she needed for the most part.

 

[cbraarj]

Uconn has been to the last 11 final fours, the next longest streak is 5 held by Uconn and tied by LSU and ND. The next longest current streak is 2 by ND (which likely isn't making the tournament this year) and Baylor and Oregon at 1 which they likely extend to 2 this year.

We as Uconn fans have had it very good. This year that streak of 11 FF may end, but we still have a good team and will be in the tournament (unlike ND) and will have a decent chance of extended to 12 FF even if we are not favored to do so. We have lost two games to the current #1/2 team and the current #3/3 team. We have one more game that we may lose to the current #2/1 team, in which case we will have likely lost to the top three ranked teams - not what we are used to but not a disaster. Some of us remember the tragedy of 2005-2007, 3 years without a FF and some probably remember the devestation of 97-99 another 3 year streak where we wondered if we would ever get to another FF let alone win a second NC. All our visitors from other teams probably have a hard time understanding the angst we all feel!

This year's team is a bit of an anomaly - it is young and does not have any player who has won a FF game on it for the first time in 11 years. It has good talent, but is struggling for consistency - its post presence is headlined by a sophomore who is still a developmental player and can be overpowered by stronger more experienced players. There are some serious couch coaches posting here that know Geno has completely lost it and cannot even get the right players on the court, and can't believe the balls up he has made of recruiting. Others might just believe there is a cycle in college sports that is hard to consistently buck.

I understand that having that glorious run with Stewart, Jefferson, and Tuck followed by the Gaby, Kia, Lou, and Pheesa years have spoiled people, but get a grip. Visit ND (8-14, 3-7 in ACC) for a day to see how the rest of the world lives.

12 FF in a row. This year would be 13.