Was Geno just imagining it that the team has began to show signs for a championship run?

[BlueSkyGLW]

As the team has shown better chemistry and coordination in its run against Big East opponents, GA has seen a glimmer of championship potential in the team's much more coordinated, growing intuitive play for smoother read and react action, it still have to face the test of stronger opponents - the two before the tournament are Tenn and SoCar. Although the team at #5 now is positioned to gain ground into #1 line, it needs to win both these games to ensure that it happens. Is there confidence among us that this will happen? Tenn first, against their pressing defense, then SoCar with their firepower and fairly solid defense as well.

There are signs of good progress: beyond Sarah and Paige who have been essentially constants, Ash and KK have continued to improve on both sides of the ball and it shows in the confidence with which they now play. Kaitlyn has finally settled in and her offense - for which she was known at Princeton - has become more efficient as her level of integration has become more seamless from greater comfort in playing together. I am never surprised at what Azzi can do but it has taken a bit of time to get fully comfortable with her body - she will be a prime asset against the stronger teams, especially.....even when used as a decoy. GA has been working the freshmen in to acclimate....and he is beginning to see improvement in their perimeter defensive performance. But the return of Aubrey defensive versatility: improves perimeter defense and it raises confidence in using the press effectively. It also adds another speed element to the offense.

It is taking a long time for Jana and Ice to reach their potential but most post players do take longer to be fully effective in their anticipated potential for how UConn WBB plays, especially in reading, reacting and switching on defense and creating opportunities on offense. Size is not enough.....reading the flow and moving to create opportunities for themselves and others around whom the guards and wings revolve....yeah, it takes time. Hopefully, both of them shall have improved much come tournament time....all the better if it begins to show against Tenn and then SoCar. The guards and wings are coming along fine, so much so that the team can play small ball or with size to counter opponents on court. The small ball lineup with Sarah as the big can be different combinations where all five are excellent 3pt shooters. Even all three freshmen can contribute in this way and Aubrey is no longer a slouch from distance. Because of their depth, GA can play fast all the time, sending players in waves as needed in each situation as he sees fit and quickly change to a different option if not working.....and they can press more as they are doing now.

I doubt they will lose both road games to these two teams but whatever the outcomes are, if they show excellent progress in what GA wants to see for March, it will be a bad idea to count UConn out if Paige, Azzi and Sarah and the rest remain healthy. If Jana and Ice show out more by the end of the regular season, I will be even more optimistic.

Paige and Azzi deserve to win a NC together after what they have been through with injuries. Doing it with this bunch would be exhilarating even from the cheering section!

 

[Rowdy831]

Is Geno as good a coach as Dawn? He has better players, she has the home court. I think that if UConn is as good as they should be with this roster they will beat Tennessee handily and also beat SC. They match up good with SC outside of one player and I think Geno will have the right mix on the floor for most of the game if not the beginning.

I don't know about "deserving" a championship but it would be a nice way for both of them to finish their careers at UConn.

 

[yhun89]

We here on the BY do not know better than the coach. If he thinks there’s signs of a championship team, there probably are.

Not many last year thought we be making it to the Final Four. Our team is a whole other monster in March, and combine that with Paige’s absolute desire for a Natty…

We lost to Texas, NC State, ND, etc last year. None of them made it to the Final Four. Some even dropped at the S16.

 

[ucbart]

While we may have more pros than South Carolina, they're a matchup nightmare for us because they out athlete us up and down the roster. We will have a very hard time rebounding with them and stopping dribble penetration. This game is simple, if we hit 3's we can win, if we don't we lose, perhaps by a lot.

 

[ERWUC65]

We here on the BY do not know better than the coach. If he thinks there’s signs of a championship team, there probably are.

Not many last year thought we be making it to the Final Four. Our team is a whole other monster in March, and combine that with Paige’s absolute desire for a Natty…

We lost to Texas, NC State, ND, etc last year. None of them made it to the Final Four. Some even dropped at the S16.

Last year there were maybe 5 real good teams. This year there are at least 15, many created thru the portal. A lot of who makes it to the last couple of rounds in March will be based on the seedings and draws.

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

Is Geno as good a coach as Dawn? He has better players, she has the home court. I think that if UConn is as good as they should be with this roster they will beat Tennessee handily and also beat SC. They match up good with SC outside of one player and I think Geno will have the right mix on the floor for most of the game if not the beginning.

I don't know about "deserving" a championship but it would be a nice way for both of them to finish their careers at UConn.

Is that a rhetorical question on who the better coach is? To me the a revealing measure of their coaching flexibility was during the last two years of Gabby when SoCar has Aja Wilson and an athletic bunch around her, their front court bigger than UConn's by any measure. Not only did UConn hold their own but beat the "stronger" team. For all their encounters that time, UConn had no depth. I won't bore you with the details of GA's coaching moves for the season and for/during the game. Of course, he was lucky he had a player named Gabby Williams......

Unfortunately, that lack of quality depth took its toll physically even as the pressure of extending the winning streak did the same mentally (in the first year of that period)....and so they lost in the SF for the NC.

As for deserving: both Paige and Azzi were #1 recruits and their talent supported those votes. But both had very unfortunate injury histories in their time.....and this is only the 2nd stretch of games when they are playing together. Unquestionably, they are as hardworking as anyone in getting their health back and learning the game even as the are sitting on the sidelines. My sympathies moves me to declare they deserve to win one, having gone to UConn expecting to win more playing together.

Undoubtedly there were other elite players who had the same idea and failed - perhaps a UConn team or two stood in the way - but I didn't know them. The tug of the heart on this tells me they deserve to take one before they leave, for all the hardwork invested and the misfortunes encountered.

 

[Charliebball]

I've seen glimpses of greatness, but not consistently and certainly not in non-conference play........the Tennessee and South Carolina games will give us a much better indication of how good UConn really is..........I'm expecting a split of the two games but considering their inconsistent play so far this season they could win both games or just as easily be swept.......

 

[packwrap]

Last year there were maybe 5 real good teams. This year there are at least 15, many created thru the portal. A lot of who makes it to the last couple of rounds in March will be based on the seedings and draws.

Most on the board believe there are only 7 elite teams. UCLA, USC, TX, SC, LSU, ND and UConn. Some don't even believe in LSU. Teams from 8-16 are good, but flawed.

Obviously, we get another chance to benchmark with TN and SC.

TN all about dealing with press and defending 3 pt line.

SC brings one of their best teams. Deep and experienced. A good but not great front court, and a backcourt full of shooters makes them very balanced.

UConn's big 3 should be ready for this, but to win someone from the Chen, Ash, KK, Jana, Ice, Aubrey, Morgan group is going to have to step up to a national level performance.

Aubrey could be the wild card here. She looks healthy on court, with no loss of speed and athleticism. Geno may use her as a defensive stopper to slow a hot Edwards, Fulwiley, or T Johnson. She can cover both a guard or a post. Aubrey also does not disappear v good teams.

Really looking forward to this. Paige/Azzi and now Sarah could sure use a signature win.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

the idea that South Carolina was more talented than UConn in the Wilson era is really something fanciful.

The only year it was even remotely close was the SCar championship season.