what we didn't know in October that we think we know now?

[cbraarj]

Everybody in WCBB thought the Huskies would take 5 steps back after last year but guess what it was only 2 teps back. There was parity last year for all of Div.1 except Uconn. Now They are back with the top teams in the country and it is an open field but they still are unbeaten in the NCAA Tournament. They learned from 3 of the best, practiced with and against them for 1, 2 and 3 years and just that experience was better than they would have gotten anywhere else in the country. Oh yeah, Im sorry they also have the best coaches in WCBB! I agree with Morgan, they are a FF Team and if they win the first game! We know what happens in the second!

 

[Bliss]

We didn't know that (at least I didn't):

(1) Danger would be as effective as she is
(2) Natalie would be as reliable as she is
(3) Lou would take and make as many driving mid-range jumpers and go into the post as much

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I caught that, too, Rockie. I wonder if Morgan herself could have known in May what she knows now, that going out with a year's eligibility left wasn't going to help her knee. IF, if, if, she had instead gone to UConn's School of Business, what a team we'd have now!

I suspect Morgan would shrug and say the knee could have happened in a UConn jersey too. She said she could see more knee surgeries in her future and it will not deter her from going as long as she can in pro ball. I figure she sees herself walking around on titanium when she's 40ish anyway.

 

[Carnac]

A good time to take a breath and for some stock taking. I'll start it off:

1. That the sophomores would be super-sophs. Not that surprised by Lou, but Pheesa has taken a giant leap, and may be one of the best players in all WCBB already.

2. That Natalie is probably playing at the top of our realistic expectations from October, and our hopes are that she will progress even more.

3. That Crystal has nearly unlimited potential, but that she still needs lots of maturation, as she should.

4. This one's sort of cheating: that UConn would land Megan and Charli and the future of UConn WCBB couldn't be brighter.

5. And that Geno is still looking to get his ass kicked.

It wasn't that long ago that we had a laundry list of questions that we pondered daily. These are coming off the top of my head...................

Who was going to be that 5th starter? - Would Crystal start? - Would Butler start? - Would Chong start? - How many games was UConn going to lose this year? - Were we going to get a commit from a coveted BIG? - What potential recruits should the staff concentrate on signing? - We didn't know we'd be 7-0, and look like the team to beat for this year's national championship - We didn't know Dangerfield would maturate as quickly as she did, and become the 6th man spark off the bench that she as - We didn't know so many top 10 teams would lose so early in the season, some to unranked teams. - Where/who was Megan Walker going to commit to? How much longer would the Huskies keep the winning streak going? - Which team would be the first to defeat UConn? -

The boneyard collective debated these questions back and forth all summer. We had plenty of fodder to go around. In the end, we had answers to them all. Maybe not the right answers, but we had answers, and could provide sound and intelligent reasoning to back them up. It was a looooong summer. The two transfers provided lots of excitement and unbridled optimism for the 2017-2018 season. We were/are excited about the 3 commitments scheduled to join the family next season. This was topped off by Megan Walker (the recruit everyone wanted) announcing her decision to also join the UConn family, after she held us hostage for 2 months, which caused some very interesting comments to be posted here. The bar opened, refreshments flowed freely, and some folks began dancing like Mr. Six. All in all, it was a very interesting summer. The only thing about summer is once the season begins, it comes way too soon.

 

[oldude]

What I learned (and should have known all along) is that if you play defense (especially help defense) in an intelligent connected fashion at high (manic) intensity, you will always be there in any game and more importantly, you demoralize opponents forcing them into errors and ultimately into self doubt. This then leads to a draining of energy and focus on the other end. I think this is the underlying reason we pull away in the 4th quarter.

I also learned that our coaching staff top to bottom is exceptional. We were fortunate to hear Geno say how he gave his reverse psychology
talk to them at the 5 minute break (dont worry guys. Just relax. They are just better than you) but did anyone notice that at that break, happy go luck coach Marisa Moseley lit in to the team like a tornado. I imagine she said something to the effect that you better rebound and play tougher because you are getting your asked kicked like little JHS girls.

I also learned that close nail biter games are alot of fun. Your stomach in knots. Glorious.

Well said. Lots of things change from year to year, but the one constant at UConn is DEFENSE!!! If you play great defense, like UConn does, most teams just can not compete with you for 40 minutes

 

[Carnac]

Beginning of the season, my thoughts with their tough schedule and probably going undefeated in the AAC, this team would be a 2 or 3 seed and end up in Bridgeport. Now that the team has run half of the gauntlet, they're playing for a #1 seed. Didn't see this coming as I thought they would have two losses by now.

Also thought that after the Texas game, we'd be talking about the possible end of the streak of not losing two games in a row.

Have to stop under estimating this team. They're tough and resilient. They'll need all their toughness going into Notre Dame with a hostile crowd facing what most likely will be the #1 Ranked. team. If UConn gets So Carolina's first place votes, UConn might be Ranked #1 in one of the polls this week.

Wbbfan1, Pour me some of what you're having. I thought the same thing/way you did. I predicted that this team would not go undefeated this year. I must admit, after seeing UConn's performance through 7 games, and the vulnerability of the other top 10 teams ( most of which have already suffered a loss, or come close), I'm beginning to back off of that prediction. This team has ALL the earmarks of a team that can go all the way to Dallas in April, and prevail. I'm a seer, even with all of the trinkets and paraphernalia at my disposal, I still didn't see this coming.

What I/we didn't see is the potential this team has. We didn't see the potential star power these players have, because we only saw glimpses of it last year, as they performed in a limited capacity under the glaring/bright lights of the BIG 3. This just in............This team is good. They have the attention of WCBB. They are no longer an unknown entrant. UConn has once again become an "E" ticket ride ( youngsters, google "E ticket" for further clarification ) for their opponents.

I'm delighted with this team progress thus far. Each game provides two hours of excitement because the out come is not guaranteed before hand. Last year, we knew the huskies would win. The only question was what the margin of victory would be. Most opponents considered it a moral victory if they could stay within 30 points of the huskies. An old adage come to mind here: "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated". UConn is alive and well, and picking up where last year's team left off........and that's a good thing.

 

[dtbtbtb]

it is still very early in he season and it could be that the game on Wed. will bring us all back to earth but for now I'm ecstatic about how well the TEAM is playing! well beyond my expectations. I thought it will take them some time to jell and realize their now roles and lose some games (I thought that they will lose against Baylor and TX at a minimum with a possibility of losing to FL St. and DePaul). I was sure that by tournament time they will be one of the very best teams in the country but they truly surprised me so far by how calm they are under pressure and how they play for and with each other!
I just love this team!

 

[Waquoit]

-Gabby Williams would be terrific in fantasy basketball, a player capable of stuffing the stat sheet in multiple categories. She's the team's 2nd leading rebounder, 1st in steals, and tied for the team lead in assists!

I think Gabby is the best player in the country.

 

[StephStorrs]

The one thing I couldn't possibly have predicted, despite her being my favorite player on the current squad, is how much Kia has stepped into a leadership role and how soon she did it. I knew it would happen eventually, but I wasn't expecting it to happen so soon. But she's out there screaming for them, keeping the energy up when she can, and she's always one of the most encouraging players on and off the court. Watching her in warmups and seeing how she's really transitioned into a new role with encouraging the younger ones and keeping everyone together is a really nice thing to see. I can't remember what thread it was on, but someone said that no one cares more about this team than Kia... and I'm really inclined to agree. She's stepped up. Her offensive start was slow and her defense wasn't entirely up to par with what we grew used to seeing from her last season, but she's become a team leader and team encourager when they needed it the most. Her fire and drive must be contagious - I wish I had someone like that on all of my teams growing up. I only expect it to get better from here.

And like so many other people, I wasn't expecting them to be this calm under pressure. Knowing what we know how about what Geno said during that first TO... they looked incredibly calm when they fought back, and that's impressive - at least to me. I was expecting some major growing pains, and while we have seen them in flashes, they're much more minor than what I anticipated. The transition hasn't been flawless, but they're playing better basketball as a team than I expected them to in late November / early December.

This year has already been quite surprising and very exciting. I'm personally excited to see what else they're able to do as they continue to settle into their roles and become even more comfortable with one another. Especially as the freshman progress!

 

[dtbtbtb]

I don't know about Gabby being the best player in the country but what I do know is that she was a great athlete and now she is a great basketball player (while still being a great athlete)!

 

[JordyG]

1) I didn't know KLS would be so deadly off the curl. I didn't know she was as tough as she's shown.

2) I didn't know Pheese had such a complete offensive game: Back to the basket, face up, dribble drive, shot beyond the arc, rebounding. I like the way she tips the ball to herself or keeps the ball alive on rebounds. I also didn't know she would become the best forward in WCBB so quickly.

3) I didn't know Butler would become so essential to their success.

4) I didn't know Gabby could play with such energy for 40 minutes.

5) I didn't know Geno would use so many vest pocket motivational tropes so early.

6) I didn't know this team's identity would be as a counter puncher. Which leads to...

7) I didn't know this team could win games in so many different ways.

8) I didn't know that this team could win and win fairly decisively without a point guard running the offense. When Danger isn't on the floor it's point guard by committee. There's not a lot of dribble penetration and kick out to the perimeter.

9) I didn't know this team could win while their half court offense is still only so-so.

10) I didn't know this team would play with such emotion. I knew they would be tough, hard nose and feral. But they play with their emotions on their sleeves. Or jerseys.

11) I didn't know this team would be so exciting.

12) I didn't know Chong could actually improve her on ball defense.

13) I didn't know this team could score as much as they have, and with so little contribution offensively from the point, meaning Chong and Danger. Which leads to...

14) I didn't know this team would shoot so well from the floor.

15) I didn't know this team would be this good.

 

[oldude]

One other thing that has been a really pleasant surprise this year is the emotion exhibited by his team, particularly Lou & Kia. Last year the team had kind of an "understated cool" as they buried teams by 40+ points. This year, as they've met one challenge after another, there has been an explosion of high-fives, fist bumps and primal screams. As a fan, when these girls get excited, I get excited.

 

[winlots]

BAGS et al.....very good stuff from the first sentence all the way down thru "excited." Fun.

 

[hoophuskee]

1-- Offensively the ability to score in the paint. I always knew we could shoot. Thus defending us using a zone is a bad idea but if a team can defend us man-to-man meaning they can get up our shooters - we need to be able to counter that by scoring inside primarily through ball movement. We've been very good doing this.

2-- Offensively - how quickly Danger could incorporate into the offense. Game 2 she did it. Also she seems like she is a pretty good pt shooter. I wasn't sure she could shoot from 3 this early. She can.

3-- Offensively-- Saniya Chong a huge contributor in game #1. We wouldn't be undefeated without her.

4-- Offensively- I saw last year Collier has what it seemed a nice soft shot. Her stats shooting 3's were awful last year but I felt she could do it to a small extent but not a big extent. I'm surprised that it is a weapon. Not surprised that she could have been "decent" but she is very good. I think someone was arguing with coco or bags or carnac that between Gabby and Collier they would even take 10 3's combined by the end of the season. Collier has already taken 10 by herself.

4-- Defensively Butler's ability to compete vs "like-size" vs top tier teams. It would take a lot for me to believe she can't. Even if we get beat a couple of times it doesn't take away from what she has done vs Baylor and Texas and to an extent she was very solid vs FSU. And without being solid - we don't win. I bring this up about Butler because I get the feeling that we're going to get posts "see I told you she's no good" if UCONN loses and game or two. To quote a line from the movie True Grit which Glen Campbell believes the girl can stay with him and John Wayne he says "She's won her spurs."

5-- Defensively Collier and Gabby "are holding up just enough" vs size. I don't know a lot of the teams.

6-- On a lesser note Bent is bigger than I thought and looks like she can shoot a bit. She did play vs FSU.

 

[GiladKatzDeli]

One thing I really like is that this team doesn't seem so concerned about "the streak". It kind of is what it is. You don't get the sense that they're out there playing not to lose. They're just playing.

 

[oldude]

One thing I really like is that this team doesn't seem so concerned about "the streak". It kind of is what it is. You don't get the sense that they're out there playing not to lose. They're just playing.

I think the streak is under the radar right now, because this team is focused like a laser on the next opponent only, whomever that might be. With a brutal pre-conference schedule, it would not be smart for UConn to focus on the streak, a national championship or anything other than the opponent standing right in front of them.

However, if they manage to somehow run the guantlet of these first 12 games without losing, UConn will be at 87 wins in a row heading into their conference schedule. At that point, the press will start talking about, and asking about, the streak: tying UCLA 88, passing UCLA 89, tying UConn 90, passing UConn 91 and so on. At that point it may be very difficult for these Huskies to ignore the chatter.

 

[bags27]

1) I didn't know KLS would be so deadly off the curl. I didn't know she was as tough as she's shown.

2) I didn't know Pheese had such a complete offensive game: Back to the basket, face up, dribble drive, shot beyond the arc, rebounding. I like the way she tips the ball to herself or keeps the ball alive on rebounds. I also didn't know she would become the best forward in WCBB so quickly.

3) I didn't know Butler would become so essential to their success.

4) I didn't know Gabby could play with such energy for 40 minutes.

5) I didn't know Geno would use so many vest pocket motivational tropes so early.

6) I didn't know this team's identity would be as a counter puncher. Which leads to...

7) I didn't know this team could win games in so many different ways.

8) I didn't know that this team could win and win fairly decisively without a point guard running the offense. When Danger isn't on the floor it's point guard by committee. There's not a lot of dribble penetration and kick out to the perimeter.

9) I didn't know this team could win while their half court offense is still only so-so.

10) I didn't know this team would play with such emotion. I knew they would be tough, hard nose and feral. But they play with their emotions on their sleeves. Or jerseys.

11) I didn't know this team would be so exciting.

12) I didn't know Chong could actually improve her on ball defense.

13) I didn't know this team could score as much as they have, and with so little contribution offensively from the point, meaning Chong and Danger. Which leads to...

14) I didn't know this team would shoot so well from the floor.

15) I didn't know this team would be this good.

You didn't know very much, did you?

 

[JordyG]

You didn't know very much, did you?

Stupidity is my defining characteristic. Along with being an audiophile. Some would say they are one and the same.

 

[Carnac]

The one thing I couldn't possibly have predicted, despite her being my favorite player on the current squad, is how much Kia has stepped into a leadership role and how soon she did it. I knew it would happen eventually, but I wasn't expecting it to happen so soon. But she's out there screaming for them, keeping the energy up when she can, and she's always one of the most encouraging players on and off the court. Watching her in warmups and seeing how she's really transitioned into a new role with encouraging the younger ones and keeping everyone together is a really nice thing to see. I can't remember what thread it was on, but someone said that no one cares more about this team than Kia... and I'm really inclined to agree. She's stepped up. Her offensive start was slow and her defense wasn't entirely up to par with what we grew used to seeing from her last season, but she's become a team leader and team encourager when they needed it the most. Her fire and drive must be contagious - I wish I had someone like that on all of my teams growing up. I only expect it to get better from here.

And like so many other people, I wasn't expecting them to be this calm under pressure. Knowing what we know how about what Geno said during that first TO... they looked incredibly calm when they fought back, and that's impressive - at least to me. I was expecting some major growing pains, and while we have seen them in flashes, they're much more minor than what I anticipated. The transition hasn't been flawless, but they're playing better basketball as a team than I expected them to in late November / early December.

This year has already been quite surprising and very exciting. I'm personally excited to see what else they're able to do as they continue to settle into their roles and become even more comfortable with one another. Especially as the freshman progress!

You highlighted an observation that will benefit UConn on Wednesday: "I wasn't expecting them to be this calm under pressure". Adversity builds character. UConn has been down several time this season. They have experienced adversity on several occasions. They experienced it, and what figured out what they had to do to fight back to gain control. Notre Dame has not experienced any adversity so far this season. They've been on top in every game. How will they respond if/when they find themselves down by 7 or more points during an opponent's run? There is no substitute for experience. We shall see.

 

[hoophuskee]

I think the streak is under the radar right now, because this team is focused like a laser on the next opponent only, whomever that might be. With a brutal pre-conference schedule, it would not be smart for UConn to focus on the streak, a national championship or anything other than the opponent standing right in front of them.

However, if they manage to somehow run the guantlet of these first 12 games without losing, UConn will be at 87 wins in a row heading into their conference schedule. At that point, the press will start talking about, and asking about, the streak: tying UCLA 88, passing UCLA 89, tying UConn 90, passing UConn 91 and so on. At that point it may be very difficult for these Huskies to ignore the chatter.

I'm not sure it will affect this team. I think UCONN has had so many streaks that it is no longer a big deal. I just think they'll have mor of a chip ont heir shulder this year.

1-- After all "it was ALL the BIG 3" (i.e chip)

2-- After all- "This is the year to GET them." (i.e. chip)

 

[oldude]

I'm not sure it will affect this team. I think UCONN has had so many streaks that it is no longer a big deal. I just think they'll have mor of a chip ont heir shulder this year.

1-- After all "it was ALL the BIG 3" (i.e chip)

2-- After all- "This is the year to GET them." (i.e. chip)

I agree with your comments, but there is something about immortality that's special. I've read that DiMaggio never wanted to see anyone get close to his 56 game hitting streak. The undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins celebrated when the Giants beat the Patriots in the 2008 Super Bowl, ending their perfect season. Not sure how Maya & company would feel about another Husky team breaking their record, but I suspect that any team that broke the record would feel pretty good about themselves.

 

[Waquoit]

I'm not saying there may not be a bump or two in the road but this is still a new team. They are still getting better.

 

[Huskee11]

Great thread and lots of "pithy" observations! (Now there`s a word that doesn`t get much use.)

I don`t think that anyone has touched on something that had me feeling anxious in October - and that was the state of health of many of these young women. KLS with a broken foot in April. Napheesa hip surgery in late April, surgeon comments that tear in labrum was larger than expected. Crystal hip surgery in June. Saniya with IT band issues limiting her effectiveness at the end of last season.

I am surprised at how well all of them are playing and are showing no apparent lingering effects of their health issues.

Agree with other comments that Lou and Napheesa have definitely improved. This is despite not being able to work on their games over the summer to the extent I am sure they would have liked to.

 

[UcMiami]

I agree with your comments, but there is something about immortality that's special. I've read that DiMaggio never wanted to see anyone get close to his 56 game hitting streak. The undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins celebrated when the Giants beat the Patriots in the 2008 Super Bowl, ending their perfect season. Not sure how Maya & company would feel about another Husky team breaking their record, but I suspect that any team that broke the record would feel pretty good about themselves.

The thing with these streaks is that they are multi-year, so in 2010-11 Geno could look at his team and say the only person who 'owns' this is Maya, with Dixon, Doty and Hayes maybe having a little piece - but Moore was the only starter from start to finish. With this years streak, Kia is the only 'owner' with Chong and Gabby having a little piece. But in reality, THIS team has a streak of 7-0 and that isn't something anyone gets excited about - the other 75 wins walked out of the gym last April.
That I think is something everyone on this team already believes including Kia, Gabby, and Saniya so coach will be preaching to the choir.

The other thing going for them on the streak issue (and lets get through December before taking the talk too seriously) is that no one gets too worked up about Uconn breaking their own records. 70 was a new record back in 2003 for WCBB so that was a big deal, but 71 in 2010 was sort of pedestrian. For that streak 88 was a big deal but having won 89, winning 90 wasn't news. This year should they approach 90, it will be like getting 71 - ho hum, Uconn is doing it again.

 

[oldude]

The thing with these streaks is that they are multi-year, so in 2010-11 Geno could look at his team and say the only person who 'owns' this is Maya, with Dixon, Doty and Hayes maybe having a little piece - but Moore was the only starter from start to finish. With this years streak, Kia is the only 'owner' with Chong and Gabby having a little piece. But in reality, THIS team has a streak of 7-0 and that isn't something anyone gets excited about - the other 75 wins walked out of the gym last April.
That I think is something everyone on this team already believes including Kia, Gabby, and Saniya so coach will be preaching to the choir.

The other thing going for them on the streak issue (and lets get through December before taking the talk too seriously) is that no one gets too worked up about Uconn breaking their own records. 70 was a new record back in 2003 for WCBB so that was a big deal, but 71 in 2010 was sort of pedestrian. For that streak 88 was a big deal but having won 89, winning 90 wasn't news. This year should they approach 90, it will be like getting 71 - ho hum, Uconn is doing it again.

I wouldn't necessarily minimize the piece of the current or former streak owned by Gabby, Saniya, Dixon, Doty or Hayes or anyone else that was a part of each streak respectively, right on down to the last player on the bench. Some day, when these young ladies are grandmothers, they'll be telling their grand-kids about "the streak".

Back in ancient times, as a senior in high school, I played on an undefeated football team. A few years back, my alma mater held a 40 yr reunion for that team. I was pleasantly surprised at how many of the reserves, who seldom got on the field, showed up for the event and were proud to have been part of that team.