Where Would Next Year's Second Five Rank Nationally?

[Eggman]

CD and AS start with KLS, KIA and Pheese or Gabby. Whichever comes off the bench best will be 6th 'man' of the year. Maybe Kia off the bench-depends on how good CD is. Could we have 4 AA's next year? 5? Huh. Like a previous poster, I'm looking forward to enjoying this year til the end.

 

[tonehill68]

I've been reading posts that suggest Gabby may come off the bench next year. Although that is possible, I don't see that and here's my opinion on that.

Gabby is a star right now many people are probably suggesting the change due to perceived lack of size. Although she may have the temperment to come off the bench, she is better starting. Basketball (and especially the women's game), has changed in which you have a post the size of a guard and vice versa. We have those interchangeable parts with Gabby and Lou. This is not the same "three tallest players belong in the front court and the two smaller players in the back court" game we're used to watching. Besides, how many teams are we facing next year that will actually have size?

I would start Gabby, Lou, Pheesa, Kia and Azurá next year because there will be time for everyone. Maybe Geno can run a platoon system like Rick Pitino did a couple of years ago at Kentucky.

 

[CocoHusky]

I respect your opinion. However, I think my point is still valid regarding when they face an A'ja Wilson, Lauren Cox and Joyner Holmes. Just because our undersized forwards (gabby under 6') have played the other teams' best low post players does not mean they should, and certainly for the majority of the game.

SCAR scares me a little because of A'ja Wilson and even more so Coates. If they play better team ball they have the talent to win, and I say that knowing they are very bad offensively sometimes. Coates is a beast when she play hard and her size, not just height, is going to be a match up nightmare for UCONN. To be objective, if NDame could pass the ball in to the post better that game could have been trouble, and I actually think Brianna Turner is overrated.

You point is valid regarding next year's team having to face Wilson & Holmes, but Wilson & Holmes will have to guard Azura'= big advantage UCONN. Cox has a long way to go and Brown could be more problematic for UCONN IMO. There is no need to be scared of Wilson & less reason to be scared of Coates. At 6'1" Napheesa will adequately guard Coates in the post but Coates cannot guard Napheesa even if the two were in a phone booth. I don't know about Coates being a beast in two games against UCONN she has yet to make an appearance.
I also don't know about Turner being over rated she had a poor game against UCONN. How poor? She took 14 shots in the game, only 1 of which could be consider a jump shot more 7' feet from the basket and got another shot blocked by Gabby. Turner was 7/ 14 for the game= She missed 6 layups. In the Post game presser Turner said she did not worry about missed layup she just goes on to the next shot-I am worried about her lack of worry! I have been watching both players (Turner & Coates) since HS and AAU days Turner is much closer to being a beast than Coates.

 

[BroadwayVa]

You are telling us how Geno DOES NOT OPERATE. There is no information in that, from which to draw a conclusion.
IMO Geno stars his best players. Azura is his best player, why would he not start her?

One thing we've seen recently---all those things Geno NEVER would do---he did! Geno won't take transfers---Natalie, Azura, etc--
Geno won't start Freshmen---Dangerfield, Rene, etc---the one thing that is true of Geno and most humans--they change.
A pretty much common thread with Geno is --he's loyal to long term players--who put team and game first.
Because of her size--I'd suspect Geno would "often" start Azura--next year Starting or not Starting will be changed to minutes--who gets the minutes??

 

[billnaples]

That was the men's team. They probably had no women's team back then. One of their stars was a Bulkeley guy, Gene Reilly whom us Weaver High kids hated because he was beating us all the time. In fact, he lived in the Weaver district until junior high when his family moved to the south end of Hartford. One of his older brothers played sports at Weaver. He was a very good guard and also a very good baseball pitcher. It's a small world, because my son is married to his niece - Reilly's wife's side - and Gene, who passed away a few years ago, was in my house a few times.

HPHS '62 - Eddie Griffin, Bruce Maddox, Lenny Kostek. And Reilly was class. Great foul shooter, an A+ curve ball, and what really made you mad was he was a nice guy. My wife was in the BHS class with Gene, Belfiore, Hourihan, et.al. BHS only lost 4 games in the 61/62 season, all to HPHS. Last two were State and New England finals. Good games.

 

[cohenzone]

HPHS '62 - Eddie Griffin, Bruce Maddox, Lenny Kostek. And Reilly was class. Great foul shooter, an A+ curve ball, and what really made you mad was he was a nice guy. My wife was in the BHS class with Gene, Belfiore, Hourihan, et.al. BHS only lost 4 games in the 61/62 season, all to HPHS. Last two were State and New England finals. Good games.

Weaver's star was John Lee, probably the best all around athlete of Reilly, Griffin and Lee. Griffin was the best basketball player, Reilly the best baseball player but Lee was excellent, and Lee the best football player but Griffin was very good. Lee was a great guy and 1st team all state in the three major sports. Played minor league football and I think baseball too. Funny thing is all three could have been at Weaver. The Reillys had lived in the Weaver district and the district lines were redrawn just before Griffins first year to move him out of the Weaver district. Would have been a scary threesome. HPHS had a great basketball team, Bulkeley was very good and Weaver no slouch. I'm Weaver 63 .

 

[Huskee11]

Didn`t get a chance to see those great Hartford and Bulkeley teams although I did see Reilly play at Central and also saw Belfiore, Hourihan and another Bulkeley guy named Hickey play at Trinity. Belfiore was one of the best shooters I ever saw. Saw Griffin play for the Hartford Capitols in the mid to late 60`s with Art Heyman, York Larese et al.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

You know, Connecticut's Iron Maidens have just vanquished every team that's come at them. They just wiped out the #12 team in the country by nineteen, and they've knocked off #1, #2, #7, #12, #14, #17 (then), and (now) #24. So how in the world, providing that this team doesn't slip up the rest of the way, do you tell any of these ladies to take a seat, because someone who wasn't part of the historic winning streak run, who wasn't part of the Seven Games in December, or of a NC (knock on wood), should step in without having earned that spot?

Geno wouldn't do it. Flat out, won't do it.

 

[Billybonggg]

If that second team were a separate team, where do you think they'd rank nationally?

Post- Azura Stevens
Forward- Megan Walker
Forward- Batouly Camara
Guard- Andra Espinoza-Hunter
Guard- Mikayla Coombs

I might go so far as to say: #2 in the nation (#1 being UConn's first team). And I'm assuming that this year's team will be next year's starting team.

Have I got that right?

 

[Billybonggg]

If we lose 0-1 games, you can't tell the starting 5 they're subs next year. The second five could beat the starters on a good day. The key is Megan Walker, whether she can dunk or not, can play the point.

 

[LadyVols9]

no offense to the current squad but Stevens will be your best player. huge pick up for UCONN.