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.
Don't talk your self out of a good idea so fast. Ionescu can play off the ball and occasionally handle and bridge Kia Nurse for two more years.
The suggestion that because Geno was recruiting Wilson that she would have been awesome for the Huskies is not necessarily accurate. Geno and CD have recruited players that arrived in Storrs and didn't work out nearly as well as they would have liked. It's pretty presumption to think they haven't had misfires. As has been mentioned, she and Coates didn't work as well on the frontline as their "talent level" would have suggested they would.
Couldn't agree more. She plays far too selfishly and out of control for me.
My opinion, Coates talent level is subpar. Wilson is a BEAST!
How did Geno miss her? Was she ever on the radar?