What about 2016?

[Sonny44]

I'm very excited to see the new blood but I'll expect a lot less of them than some here. Kyla Irwin will likely need time to adjust to the increased talent level she will face. Dangerfield has played with and against elite level players and Bent has played in a highly talented prep league and also faced some elite players in AAU. I may be incorrect but I believe that Irwin played in an AAU circuit locally for the most part and in a less than stellar HS league. Now I am not saying she won't develop into an outstanding stretch post player but the jump for her will be greater than either of the other freshmen. I'll be thrilled if Geno trusts her enough to spell posts who get into foul trouble.

I am constantly amazed at the over exuberant expectations placed on UConn's freshmen. Last year both Samuelson and Collier needed the better part of the season to adjust and they had the benefit of playing with, IMO, the best 3 seniors in wcbb. Dangerfield, Bent and Irwin won't have the advantage of having players cover for their errors. Anyone who thinks any of them will step into a starting slot is setting themselves up for disappointment. I expect to see some threads writing off at least some of them by early December.

Irrational exuberance Alydar, alias Greenspan!
You like he will be proven correct!

 

[Charliebball]

I would predict that in 2016 the Huskieswill be a very good team.................in 2017 they will be an extremely good team and if they get Megan Walker they will be a great team...............for 2018 the sky's the limit!!

 

[RowdyFan]

Permit me to use the Damn Yankees as a model. For several decades, they seemed to have one totally dominant player. As Gehrig left, DiMaggio came on. Then Mantle. Next, Jeter.

Similarly, the UConn torch was passed from Diana to Maya to Stewie. (Apologies to Rebecca, Tina, Sue, et al.)

In both cases, there were interludes and one huge gap. Nobody ever really replaced The Babe and we prayerfully wait for Stewie's successor to appear.

What about Craig Nettles? Thurman Munson? I have their autographs on a ball to prove it.

 

[Kmoney]

Before I can say UConn will be great or good in 2016, I have several questions.

1. Who is going to be the number 1 option on offense?
2. Who can demand a double team?
3. Who can get you good shots when the shot clock is running out?
4. Can KLS score when the defense is concentrating on her? It is a lot easier to score when you are the third or fourth option on the floor.
5. How many players will make a big leap in development?
6. Will Kia Nurse be burned out from playing so much basketball over a 18 month period?
7. Can Butler stay out of foul trouble?
8. Will the fans be supportive or anxious when the score is close

My gut feeling is that UConn will struggle to score against committed defenders. How good of a year they have will be determined by their own defense.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Whether you believe Jeter was "dominant" or not, there was a 30-year gap between Mantle and him. Yankees who played in the intervening years and had their numbers retired:

Thurmond Munson
Reggie Jackson
Ron Guidry
Don Mattingly

IMO none of them were as "dominant" as Gehrig, DiMaggio or Mantle. Reggie probably comes the closest - especially his 3 first-pitch HRs off 3 pitchers in that World Series game. But he didn't play for the Yankees very long.

Here's an interesting stat--number of AL MVPs for the group listed:

Ruth 1
Gehrig 2
DiMaggio 3
Mantle 3
Munson 1
Jackson 1 (with Oakland)
Guidry 0
Mattingly 1
Jeter 0

OTOH, here are all the players with more career hits than Jeter:

Rose
Cobb
Aaron
Musial
Speaker

It's a short list.

 

[j66kicker]

OTOH, here are all the players with more career hits than Jeter:

Rose
Cobb
Aaron
Musial
Speaker

It's a short list.

Longevity has something to do with #hits. Although Jeter played 20 years, ALL of the 5 on your "more hits" list played LONGER than 20 years. Cobb's, Musial's and Speaker's lifetime batting averages were higher than Jeter's .310. Rose's and Aaron's were lower.

 

[Roundball fan]

geno has said if Gabby can rise to her potential...Uconn will be very very very good.

I am hoping that Gabby comes in next year with a consistent 3 point shot and better ball handling. She could be a real surprise this fall. Love our Gabby.

 

[Bigpetunia]

I believe that we are currently witnessing a fairly dramatic change, particularly in the women’s game…a transition, led by Geno, but not attributable only to him, away from traditional and rigid thinking about the 1-5 roles we have historically assigned players in assembling any starting five. More specifically, since every great team needs a floor general to direct the offense, forget the 1, but we’re seeing much more potential fluidity in the 2-5 slots than we previously have, and particularly so at the 5.

Obviously, there’s no substitute for having the luxury of a transcendent, Tina Charles-type player at that position if available, but it strikes me that, more and more, coaches like Geno are less married to the traditional notion of filling the lane with a big body if doing so comes at the expense of deploying the relentlessly up-tempo unit that has come to exemplify UConn women’s basketball in particular. Sure, size matters, but it isn’t necessarily the be-all and end-all that has long characterized traditional thinking.

There’s nothing I’d rather see for next season than for Natalie Butler to shut the door on this discussion by emerging as the kind of low post talent that cannot be denied a rightful place in the starting unit. I have to confess to a considerable level of skepticism…hope, sure, but skepticism. I think that Geno will tend, without hesitation, to sacrifice size for speed and athleticism. Of course, individual game matchups will dictate a lot of decision-making, but with all the unanswered questions facing our favorite team for next season, particularly the potential contribution of some of the Freshmen, it’s hard for me to envision a scenario that doesn’t give the undisputed lion’s share of playing time to Lou, Napheesa, Gabby, Kia, and, presumably, Saniya/Crystal.

 

[CocoHusky]

I am hoping that Gabby comes in next year with a consistent 3 point shot and better ball handling. She could be a real surprise this fall. Love our Gabby.

Love gabby also. I think Gabby's shooting range will be key to the entire season. With Gabby & Natalie you have two players who need to get their shots from the same position-mid range or close to the basket. The last time the UCONN offense had this problem was with Kiah Stokes and Moriah Jefferson (prior to her improved 3pt shooting) were in the starting line up together. This limits and constricts the offense for not just these two players but the rest of the team as well. Gabby has to be a threat from 3pt range-1.5 3pt shots attempts per game at about 30% clip.

 

[huskyblooz]

My major concern is our interior defense. Three years ago, we had 3 shot blockers, 2 years ago 2 and last year only Stewie. This let us take more chances on the perimeter in the passing lanes, knowing there was someone in the back that would swat everything away. I'm not saying Butler cant be one, but hasn't proven to be yet.

We've got a demanding OOC schedule, which could lead to 5+ losses. But, come tournament time, we have a great chance to make it to the Final Four.

 

[EricLA]

Before I can say UConn will be great or good in 2016, I have several questions.

1. Who is going to be the number 1 option on offense?
2. Who can demand a double team?
3. Who can get you good shots when the shot clock is running out?
4. Can KLS score when the defense is concentrating on her? It is a lot easier to score when you are the third or fourth option on the floor.
5. How many players will make a big leap in development?
6. Will Kia Nurse be burned out from playing so much basketball over a 18 month period?
7. Can Butler stay out of foul trouble?
8. Will the fans be supportive or anxious when the score is close

My gut feeling is that UConn will struggle to score against committed defenders. How good of a year they have will be determined by their own defense.

You asked some great questions. For now, most of them won't be answered - at least not until the season starts. But... I'll take a stab at it!

1. Not sure we will have a #1 option, and having a very balanced scoring will certainly benefit a team without a Stewie or Maya or Dee type super star. But I suspect KLS will likely lead the team in scoring.
   
2. Not sure anyone will demand it. KLS may spend some time in the post, but to stop her, more likely I'd say opposing defenses will dry to deny her the ball, or harass her immediatly8 when she gets it to avoid a quick 3-point shot
3. Who would Geno run a play for if he called a TO with only 5 seconds left on the shot clock? Gabby or Nahpeesa who are deadly around the basket? KLS who is a deadly shooter? Kia who has ice water in her veins?
   
4. We certainly will see. One thing that is helpful for her (and the rest of the team) is that none of the early season starters are likely to be freshmen which means everyone knows how the motion offense works and how to try to find an open player to get the best shot possible.
   
5. Let's hope at the very least KLS and NC make the sophomore leap. Let's hope Saniya is finally 100% healthy. Let's hope Natalie's hand is 100% and strong enough to corral passes into the post. And let's hope Gabby expands her game even further developing deeper (and consistent) shots.
   
6. In my opinion, doubtful. The kid loves hoops, loves to play, And if you love something at that age, it's hard to get burned out. If anything, I expect her to be even a notch better after her experience on the Canadian National Team and her Olympic experience.
7. Hopefully. With yet another year of fitness and strength training under her belt as well as knowing the UCONN system, I have moderately high hopes for her...
8. Probably. It might be a good idea to stay out of the game threads during close games.

I have this team penciled in for the elite 8. For me, anything less will be disappointing and anything beyond that exceeding expectations. Geno has often said that winning the elite 8 game to get to the final 4 is the hardest game to win. That will never be more true than this coming year. A lot will depend on what seed we get and who we match up against in the potential elite 8 game.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Longevity has something to do with #hits. Although Jeter played 20 years, ALL of the 5 on your "more hits" list played LONGER than 20 years. Cobb's, Musial's and Speaker's lifetime batting averages were higher than Jeter's .310. Rose's and Aaron's were lower.

Yes, longevity is certainly a factor in any career record. Cobb (.366) was arguably the greatest hitter ever, and Speaker (.345) was not too far behind. Hornsby was up there too. I saw Stan the Man at the end of his career. There's a reason for this (though it doesn't look like him):

 

[MilfordHusky]

A more accurate likeness.

 

[BobbyJ]

Yes, longevity is certainly a factor in any career record. Cobb (.366) was arguably the greatest hitter ever, and Speaker (.345) was not too far behind. Hornsby was up there too. I saw Stan the Man at the end of his career. There's a reason for this (though it doesn't look like him):

What happened here? Wasn't anyone supervising the the "artist" that did this? And couldn't the customer have just said"no, take it back and do it right"? LOL

 

[Gabbyfan]

Geno never said that. He may have said something like UConn could be really really really good.

I stand corrected by Kib.....at least I did not put it in quotation marks.

I imagine I now join a club of thousands!

 

[UConnCat]

The quote on Gabby included a double "really." This is from the Middlesex chamber breakfast:

"Gabby may be most athletic player not named Stewie in America. When she's got it going, there's nothing that kid can't do. . . For us to be great next year Gabby has to grow a lot in terms of believing in herself. When things don't quite go her way she's starts to question herself a little bit. . . She's a pretty good shooter. If she can keep making the same jumps she made from last year to this year and this year to next year, then we're going to be really, really good."

 

[BobbyJ]

A more accurate likeness.

This cat could rake!

 

[Kibitzer]

I believe that we are currently witnessing a fairly dramatic change. . . away from traditional and rigid thinking about the 1-5 roles we have historically assigned players in assembling any starting five.

For years I have expressed my disdain for the rigid 1-2-3-4-5 position designations as I constantly watched Geno (and many other coaches) pay them no heed.

Most coaches have focused on constantly seeking favorable match-ups instead. In-game substitutions generally adhered to one of the following tactics: (1) proactive, to exploit an opponent's weakness; or (2) reactive, to counter an opponent's strength. Even dummies behind microphones could detect a team "going big" or "picking up the pace."

Even box score authors ceased the ancient practice of listing one "C" and two each at "G" and "F" (but never a "W"). Progress.

One vital exception. Coaches all demanded a sort of a quarterback (traditionally the "PG") be on the court to direct offensive traffic.

After years of frustration with the 1-5 designations, I finally spotted an innovative and practical system by a basketball writer in the Boston Globe. He assigned players (Celtics) to four categories: Ball-Handlers (including one PG, always); Wings; Swings; and Bigs. Let's try it:

Ball-Handlers: Crystal, Kia, Molly, Saniya, Tierney
Wings: Lou, Courtney
Swings: Gabby, Pheese
Bigs: Nat, Kyla​

Mix and match; no rule about how many of each - but one BH must be a PG.

It works for me and reveals the obvious: an abundance of back-court talent and a shortage (numerically) up front. We know that reinforcements (Azure' and Batouly) are in the pipeline.

If you are not comfortable with this concept, OK. Just go back to 1-2-3-4-5. Before you do, ask yourself where Lexi or Andi might best be designated - in advance.

 

[Carnac]

I would predict that in 2016 the Huskieswill be a very good team.......in 2017 they will be an extremely good team and if they get Megan Walker they will be a great team.....for 2018 the sky's the limit!!

Charlie........I wish I had said that! Could not agree more.

 

[Charliebball]

Charlie...I wish I had said that! Could not agree more.

Thanks all knowing one!!

 

[Carnac]

This cat could rake!

I was lucky enough to see Stan Musial play many times in person. His moniker accurately described him. Nobody had a batting stance like him. There were a few players during his era that were really liked and respected by other players, Musial was one of them. Ernie Banks was another.

Two pitchers that were not necessarily feared, but were highly respected by other players were Bob Gibson and Don Drysdale. They epitomized the term "hard throwing".

As a batter, you didn't get in to the batter's box and "dig in" when facing them. If you don't know why, ask an old timer from back in the day that followed baseball, they can tell you.

 

[Kibitzer]

Stan Musial was not only one of baseball's legendary players (check his '46 stats!), he was one of the finest people to ever play. In 20+ years, never any lapse in effort; never even a momentary issue with an ump or opponent. When Jackie Robinson was about to play (and many of his teammates threatened to not play), Stan quietly suppressed their anger and led them onto the field. Play ball!

 

[Rixxx]

Carnac, you need a respected lefty to go with your two righties from that era. That would be the great Warren Spahn. IIRC, I think he could hit with power too.

 

[winlots]

A more accurate likeness.

MIL: Well, yeh, maybe by a hair. Great photo. Totally captures "The Man." (I do realize transposing that into a statue is far from child's play.)

 

[winlots]

Here's an interesting stat--number of AL MVPs for the group listed:

Ruth 1
Gehrig 2
DiMaggio 3
Mantle 3
Munson 1
Jackson 1 (with Oakland)
Guidry 0
Mattingly 1
Jeter 0

OTOH, here are all the players with more career hits than Jeter:

Rose
Cobb
Aaron
Musial
Speaker

It's a short list.

MIL: yup. And had you limited that OTOH list to AL players, like the MVP list, it would be way shorter than already is.