UConn's Biggest Surprise For 2015-16 Will Be...

[BigBird]

Courtney Ekmark! She will get more minutes as a sophomore, and will play very well, having made up for lost time due to her injury. She has size, shot, and smarts. She now needs to show better mobility and defense, and I'm guessing she's already heard that from WBB minds better than mine.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

BigBird I agree Courtney Ekmark is due for a bigger year than her freshman season! Once she hurt her leg, the year went down the tubes! Especially since she was hurt early in the season and missed all the preparation work, she couldn't catch up on all she missed! With the off season her work ethic will drive her to come back in top shape and her shot and defense improved!

 

[slug25]

She played some point in mop up time last season and I thought she was effective in feeding the post -- something that will serve her well in terms of PT . . . . Especially if her shot returns to its advertised form AND if she can move feet better on defense.

 

[DaddyChoc]

nah... Im expecting Collier and Gabby to gobble up any extra minutes, along with Boykin

 

[mrmojack]

Collier is a excellent all around player, she is all over the court. Expect Gabby
to improve her ball handling, outside shot and foul shooting. She really is
unique. This will be a very deep team with everyone fighting for extra minutes.

 

[rugbymate]

Butlers tenacity and presence in the paint...

 

[msf22b]

Maybe Courtney's improvement will be a surprise.
but the rest... Gabby, Collier, Butler?

The surprise will be if any of these superwoman doesn't excel.
And don't forget our #1 pick.

 

[Bonpland]

I remember Rick Pitino saying when he was still at Providence that he looked for foot speed when analyzing a recruit. Without it you can't keep up on defense and can't get your shot on offense.

Like everyone else I'm hoping that Courtney finds a valued role on this team, and if her shooting developes as had been advertised perhaps she will. But unless she moves more fluidly in the offense and can show that she can play D well enough to keep her in the game, I'm afraid those faster already mentioned players will keep her off the court.

If her shot returns, I could see her becoming a deadly weapon in spot situations, but I think the depth of this team (don't most of us agree that this will be one of, if not the, deepest team we have ever had) will make it hard for several of our very talented "second six" to find playing time.

Back in top physical condition, with her shooting eye intact, she very well may become our "dagger" when needed. I hope that's the way it goes, but she's really going to have to "wow" the coaches to keep KLS, Gabby and Collier on the bench.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

This year is going to be a hell of a ride! As long as team chemistry and health are good the options open to Geno, CD et al are mind boggling. I'm not comfortable making any prediction on Courtney. She has a super BBall IQ but the team speed of the Huskies has ramped up and that could be a challenge??

 

[UcMiami]

With Courtney - I again look back on that first game at Davis last year - she was first off the bench of the freshman which suggested she was showing the coaches a lot in the preseason - and then she was shut down after the second game and never fully caught up.

 

[Buzzyboy]

This year is going to be a hell of a ride! As long as team chemistry and health are good the options open to Geno, CD et al are mind boggling. I'm not comfortable making any prediction on Courtney. She has a super BBall IQ but the team speed of the Huskies has ramped up and that could be a challenge??

I agree that team chemistry is a really big part of any kind of success but I think with the selfless mindset of the type recruits Geno and Chris get, we should be good in that regard!

 

[jsloanjr]

UCONN is loaded again and will dominate every time and every game. There will be plenty of minutes to go around....

 

[Bonpland]

UCMiami I remember Nicole Wolf scoring eighteen points in her first game. I told my daughters that she was going to be one of the UCONN greats. Then she injured her foot, missed time and struggled for three years (plus a red-shirt year) to get back to the form she needed both physically and as a player.

Let's hope that Courtney does not suffer a recurring injury the way that Nicole did, but I don't think that her performance in that first game is going to get her more playing time this year than she can earn by out performing the the athletes that are now lining up alongside of her.

 

[UcMiami]

UCMiami I remember Nicole Wolf scoring eighteen points in her first game. I told my daughters that she was going to be one of the UCONN greats. Then she injured her foot, missed time and struggled for three years (plus a red-shirt year) to get back to the form she needed both physically and as a player.

Let's hope that Courtney does not suffer a recurring injury the way that Nicole did, but I don't think that her performance in that first game is going to get her more playing time this year than she can earn by out performing the the athletes that are now lining up alongside of her.

Didn't mean that it would - just that at the start of last year she was showing something to the coaches that got her preferred over Gabby and Kia in that first game, so she had/has something. There are no guarantees, and the experience Kia and Gabby got throughout last year obviously moves them to a position in front of her to start this year. Add in Kia's experiences this summer and there is no comparison, but that doesn't mean that Courtney cannot come back strong.
(Nicole was a really, really tough situation - was not as involved back in the Kirsten days, but another similar situation. Ralph on the other hand had terrible medical problems, but every time she could play she was outstanding! As was the case with Hunter.)

 

[Bonpland]

I'm sure that at some point the Boneyard has had a "What if..." topic concerning the great players whose careers were abbreviated by serious injury, but UcMiami's post makes me think of how hard it was to watch so many good ones sit on the bench in street clothes while their teammates were runining the court. Every team in the country could post a similar list, but when your girls are always knocking on the door you can't help but wonder what if Shea?, what if Svet?, what if Brittany?.......................

 

[Waquoit]

Courtney Ekmark! She will get more minutes as a sophomore, and will play very well, having made up for lost time due to her injury.

That sounds like a good choice. A bad wheel is tough to overcome in hoop.

 

[mhshuskies]

I remember Rick Pitino saying when he was still at Providence that he looked for foot speed when analyzing a recruit. Without it you can't keep up on defense and can't get your shot on offense.

Like everyone else I'm hoping that Courtney finds a valued role on this team, and if her shooting developes as had been advertised perhaps she will. But unless she moves more fluidly in the offense and can show that she can play D well enough to keep her in the game, I'm afraid those faster already mentioned players will keep her off the court.

If her shot returns, I could see her becoming a deadly weapon in spot situations, but I think the depth of this team (don't most of us agree that this will be one of, if not the, deepest team we have ever had) will make it hard for several of our very talented "second six" to find playing time.

Back in top physical condition, with her shooting eye intact, she very well may become our "dagger" when needed. I hope that's the way it goes, but she's really going to have to "wow" the coaches to keep KLS, Gabby and Collier on the bench.

Good points but here is a thought. Courtney is supposed to be a 3 point sharpshooter. Our most recent sharpshooter (KML) was anything but fleet of foot, so could Courtney fill some of that void. What would work against is the depth of the roster.

 

[connboy77]

Cox decides to go to UCONN!

 

[Oldbones]

My fervent hope is for no surprises...........................

 

[blaqtech]

Losing 3 times and the final one being to Tennessee for the National title.......

Now you have to admit that would be a BIG surprise

 

[connboy77]

Losing 3 times and the final one being to Tennessee for the National title..

Now you have to admit that would be a BIG surprise

Here on the boneyard we don't even kid about national disasters like that!

 

[Bonpland]

Every sport fan knows that anything is possible. Upsets happen and even the staunchest of us (Boneyarder's) worries that we can lose on the right (or in this case wrong) night, but losing to Tennessee anytime, anyway, anywhere, ever again is not an option that any of us is willing to entertain.

 

[ochoopsfan]

With Courtney - I again look back on that first game at Davis last year - she was first off the bench of the freshman which suggested she was showing the coaches a lot in the preseason - and then she was shut down after the second game and never fully caught up.

Kia Nurse was the first off the bench last year, as a freshman, in the UC Davis game. Nurse replaced Chong 4.08 into the game, Ekmark didnt get into the game until the last 4.24 of the half. She played 19 minutes vs UC Davis and didnt have a basket.

 

[UcMiami]

Kia Nurse was the first off the bench last year, as a freshman, in the UC Davis game. Nurse replaced Chong 4.08 into the game, Ekmark didnt get into the game until the last 4.24 of the half. She played 19 minutes vs UC Davis and didnt have a basket.

whoops - thanks for the correction.

 

[BigBird]

Good points but here is a thought. Courtney is supposed to be a 3 point sharpshooter. Our most recent sharpshooter (KML) was anything but fleet of foot, so could Courtney fill some of that void. What would work against is the depth of the roster.

My thought exactly. Ekmark isn't THAT slow, but compared to some on the team she isn't exactly quick. As Kaleena showed though, you don't have to have blazing speed to be in the right place at the right moment and to be the winning edge.