After the disastrous performance of the team against Georgia Tech in the immediate aftermath of the Bueckers injury, I drafted a rant on the performance, but held off and then decided not to send it. A wise move because the Huskies played a lot better against UCLA.
So far as many Boneyarders are concerned, the two real positives of the game were the play of Dorka Juhász and Caroline Ducharme. Dorka showed a lot of strength around the basket and one 3-pointer. She moves well and takes the ball immediately to the hoop after a pass or rebound in a 16 points and 16 rebounds game. No double clutching or bringing the ball to the floor first. Ducharme shows a great deal of potential. She only shot 4-13, but hit two 3-pointers, nailed her free throws, and showed an ability to drive to the basket. Her shots were not really falling, but she has good moves, more quickness than I anticipated, and appears to have the ability to get her own shot. Both Dorka and Caroline will be getting plenty of minutes in the next few games and we can expect them to continue to improve.
With regard to the other healthy players, ONO has exhibited a lot more toughness than in the past and she is holding her weight as is the new point guard Evina Westbrook who is playing her best ball in a UConn uniform. Edwards continues to puzzle and Williams will be what she always has been, good games and bad games with too many turnovers and missed shots. Hopefully, DeBarry will continue to get minutes because she has played well in the limited time she has on the court.
This is the team we have until our wounded return. Who knows if Griffin will be able to log meaningful minutes this season with her ongoing back troubles. The best we can expect with Bueckers is a mid-February return, provided she is completely healthy. If she is ready by the Big East Tournament, that will be o.k. We can hope that Nika Mühl and Azzi Fudd might be ready to play for the first post-Christmas matchup against a decent Marquette team, but there are no certainties when it comes to recovering from injuries. From my perspective, Nika is the more important because she can run the point and reduce pressure on Evina Westbrook to have to do everything.
I was not surprised that Mir McLean decided to transfer, but wish she had held out until the end of the season. Our vaunted depth and belief that our second five was a top 15 team have proven false, but who would have expected that a team of 14 would now be down to 8. The Louisville game on Sunday will be a big test against a quality top 10 opponent. Here’s hoping.
So far as many Boneyarders are concerned, the two real positives of the game were the play of Dorka Juhász and Caroline Ducharme. Dorka showed a lot of strength around the basket and one 3-pointer. She moves well and takes the ball immediately to the hoop after a pass or rebound in a 16 points and 16 rebounds game. No double clutching or bringing the ball to the floor first. Ducharme shows a great deal of potential. She only shot 4-13, but hit two 3-pointers, nailed her free throws, and showed an ability to drive to the basket. Her shots were not really falling, but she has good moves, more quickness than I anticipated, and appears to have the ability to get her own shot. Both Dorka and Caroline will be getting plenty of minutes in the next few games and we can expect them to continue to improve.
With regard to the other healthy players, ONO has exhibited a lot more toughness than in the past and she is holding her weight as is the new point guard Evina Westbrook who is playing her best ball in a UConn uniform. Edwards continues to puzzle and Williams will be what she always has been, good games and bad games with too many turnovers and missed shots. Hopefully, DeBarry will continue to get minutes because she has played well in the limited time she has on the court.
This is the team we have until our wounded return. Who knows if Griffin will be able to log meaningful minutes this season with her ongoing back troubles. The best we can expect with Bueckers is a mid-February return, provided she is completely healthy. If she is ready by the Big East Tournament, that will be o.k. We can hope that Nika Mühl and Azzi Fudd might be ready to play for the first post-Christmas matchup against a decent Marquette team, but there are no certainties when it comes to recovering from injuries. From my perspective, Nika is the more important because she can run the point and reduce pressure on Evina Westbrook to have to do everything.
I was not surprised that Mir McLean decided to transfer, but wish she had held out until the end of the season. Our vaunted depth and belief that our second five was a top 15 team have proven false, but who would have expected that a team of 14 would now be down to 8. The Louisville game on Sunday will be a big test against a quality top 10 opponent. Here’s hoping.
