Just realized only the first line of my comment actually posted. I picked Alex because she is a good solid player, not a superstar. There is enough star power on the team, but it could benefit from some solid everyday kids that can eat minutes without a huge drop off in performance.
Stef was a superb passer from the high post and she totally understood the offensive scheme. She hardly ever played in the low post. Geno explained that by saying that if she had played in the low post, teams would simply have doubled her and let Kelly Faris have any shot she wanted, and Stef would be shut down by the double-team. But in the high post, Stef could essentially assume point guard responsibilities and run the offense.
I'd hate to think Uconn defined Morgan's abilities. I must admit I too have seen her few times, but once I got past my bias, about her size and the Uconn loss, while watching her then: I was surprised how good I began to believe she was. But make no mistake I don't believe for one second--Morgan won that game alone---she had help from three place,: her teammates, her coach and Uconn.
That STAR power you allude to once were doing the grunt work for other STARS. The fact is Uconn isn't about STARS , although we make them so, it's about winning and development. The 3 frosh NOW on the bench may fill some of those slots voided by the STARS. Utility players are now sitting: Irwin and Bent, could be a Frosh or two. With Uconn you MUST develop by the end of your Soph year (Gabby) or you do a lot of sitting. As average players without STAR quality in BB some became Stars for fans: Doty, Dixon, Swanyea (sp), Faris, others. My emotional favorite, who would have shown brightly as a star, Britany Hunter.
Stef was also a pretty good shooter from the top of the key, to the point where you couldn’t really lay off her. Hopefully, Z will find a similar consistency with her outside shooting.
Kelsey Mitchell? The Carmelo Anthony of WCBB? The ball stops when it reaches her hands and everyone else just watches. She is a big no in my book. Not doubting her scoring talent but she is not a good fit.
Geno was also recruiting Diamond DeShields, what say you about her and him?
Is tells me he believes in his ability to coach and the Uconn system. People were saying Aja would cause trouble with spacing as if Geno wouldn’t or didn’t have a plan for that.
That's not a credible statement considering that over the past three years UCONN has had 2 and then 1 walkon player on the roster. I loved Tierney and Briana but I would have much rather have had A'Ja on the UCONN roster. It's not like UCONN players (eg, KLS and Meghan) have not had occasional issues with the hair thing. If A'ja and Jordan are playing with thier hair "every time down the court" and still managed to be AA caliber players no need for them to stop playing with hair IMO. I"m not sure how much help Tynice Martin would have been against Mississippi State but I know that A'ja played pretty well against MSU last year-3X.
There is one player that when I watch her her game screams UCONN-Megan Gustafson of Iowa. She a mobile big, solidly built, finishes on the block on offense and defends the low post very well.
Certainly entitled to your opinion but I'm just not a fan of Wilson and there's no proof that Wilson (nor Martin for that matter) would have made a difference in the MSU game; it's all conjecture. And with Wilson and the hair thing, it's not occasional - watch closely next time you get a chance and that one thing is not the differential for me, it's the way she carries herself and again it may be nitpicking but just my personal preference.
I do watch very close. A'ja does a tremendous job of representing WCBB, her University, State & family. My only personal preference,a regret really, is that she did not choose UCONN.