This is an interesting thread to which I will add my two cents worth. Let me, however, slightly rephrase the subject from in which three players will surprise most to which three players are you most interested in seeing on the court.
I think we pretty much know what we will get with ONO, Williams, Westbrook, and Griffin. We can expect that Paige Bueckers will be all world again and I am interested to see how much Edwards will improve and what Dorka Juhasz will bring to the court. She is the first true center since Stephanie Dolson and a player we will need against big and strong teams like South Carolina. But, the three players and I am most looking forward to seeing are Nika Mühl, Azzi Fudd, and Caroline Ducharme.
Nika Mühl - many Boneyarders admire her for her toughness and defensive ability, although others are ready to assign her to the bench. She is a decent, but not outstanding, shooter and a good passer. She gave up a chance to play on the Croatian national team this summer to stay in Storrs and work on her game. If she can improve on her shooting and driving ability, there is little doubt that she will start. Bueckers can benefit by playing off the ball for much of the game. Whether she will starts, will be the first player off the bench, or the first starter substituted for, remains to be determined. I love, however, the way she plays. She is Jennifer Rizzotti - 2.
Azzi Fudd - She is as highly anticipated among Husky fans as was Paige Bueckers, but with six rotation players returning plus Juhasz, we must wait to see where she fits in. As a couple of people have observed, she may play a Kaleena Mosqueda Lewis type of role. Instant offense. Fudd is not quite as big or strong as KML, but a more versatile and quicker player who will likely play better defense. Assuming no serious injuries, she will still get a lot of time on the court and should score in double digits. I can easily see her on the floor with Edwards and another center and with guards Mühl and Bueckers and with wings Westbrook and Williams. Geno has the luxury for the first time in several seasons of mixing and matching a number of high quality players.
Caroline Ducharme - From nearby MA, she is a big guard/wing who is reputed to be an excellent shooter with an edge to her game. Since several recent teams have been characterized as too nice, it is good to see players Nika, Caroline, and Aaliyah on the team. If she can rebound effectively and has more to her game than as a jump shooter, we will be seeing a lot of her. At 6.2, she should present matchup problems for the opposing teams and it remains to be seen how many minutes she will carve out for herself and what her role will be on the 2021-22 team. As a native of Connecticut, I like the idea of having players who come from the region and Ducharme will likely have a great many fans. How soon before we hear renditions of “Sweet Caroline?”
After a long off-season, we are getting close to the official start of practice and just over two months away from the beginning of a new and one hopes a highly successful year.
