Who's the 5th starter?

[Sluconn Husky]

Natalie will start because she brings a physical presence. Is Morgan going to guard Mercedes Russell if they play UT? Four inches shorter and I don't know how many pounds lighter. Morgan is not a great jumper or rebounder. You want to get that fast break started, start Natalie, already a much better rebounder and more athletic than Stef, who was fantastic her last two years. Gabby, Napheesa and Katie Lou will get their minutes; they just won't be starting.

I don't think Geno's going to start Butler just because UConn might theoretically face Tenn and the non-proven Russell in the NCAA's down the road. Tuck and Stewart had to face Wilson and Coates last year and pretty much dominated. Also, I'm still not sure how everyone knows how good or athletic Butler is considering most have never seen her. She almost assuredly isn't as athletic or quick as Stokes and Stokes was relegated to the bench, and the lineup fired on all cylinders anyway. I would not be shocked if Butler has a similar role as a sophomore.

 

[CajunHusky]

CajunHusky, it's easy not to have jitters when you're not starting and you're not asked to do much. Watch Saniya when she plays defense. Her feet move a mile a minute, but she's not going anywhere. If we had to rely on her last year as the fifth starter, the road to the championship would have been much more difficult. Kia is by far the better player. She was a freshman starting on the best team in college basketball. How long did Saniya start? Two games. Also, did you watch the Pan Am games. There is no debate. Natalie will start because she brings a physical presence. Is Morgan going to guard Mercedes Russell if they play UT? Four inches shorter and I don't know how many pounds lighter. Morgan is not a great jumper or rebounder. You want to get that fast break started, start Natalie, already a much better rebounder and more athletic than Stef, who was fantastic her last two years. Gabby, Napheesa and Katie Lou will get their minutes; they just won't be starting.

After the Stanford game Coach remade the entire team .... he didn't just change Nurse for Chong or Tuck for Stokes, he remade the entire offensive and defensive philosophy; dumped the two bigs for one big and a power forward (Tuck) and brought in a big physical guard (Nurse).

Did I at any anytime say or imply Chong was better than Nurse? No! I really have no opinion whatsoever as to which of the two is better so really let's not go there. I believe that Chong has improved her defense thru the year and I think it showed in the NCAA. She had some moments but they all did - Dayton comes to mind.

I said I thought he would move Nurse to KML's spot (she showed a nice 3 point shot in the PanAms) and put Chong at the number two Guard. How you got I think Chong is better that Nurse from that statement, well ....

I don't think Coach will dump the offense/defense that took him thru to the championship to go back to the two bigs lineup that he dumped at the beginning of the year. Keep in mind that 4 of 5 starters from that unit are returning. Why reinvent the wheel, you just need to replace KML .....

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Sluconn Husky- - - - With the double/double stats Natalie achieved in her freshman year for Georgetown in the Big East, and having seen some tape of her that year, and what the players, coaches, said about her during last season Natalie Butler will come in as Stef Dolson as a junior! She will add talented offense and defense to the mix! Right from the beginning they praised Natalie's work ethic, her skills and her defensive intensity and "couldn't wait till she's eligible!" And one video I saw if you closed your eyes you'd think that was Stef's personality, but it was Natalie! A clone! She has also used the year off to lose about 20-25 lbs. to get in better shape!
Natalie Butler will quickly become a fan favorite!

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Sluconn Husky- - - - With the double/double stats Natalie achieved in her freshman year for Georgetown in the Big East, and having seen some tape of her that year, and what the players, coaches, said about her during last season Natalie Butler will come in as Stef Dolson as a junior!

To play at Dolson's level is an awful lot to ask. As I've said before, I don't think you can automatically transfer her numbers at Georgetown, particularly playing 35+ minutes a game when I'd put the over/under on her minutes this year at 18. I'm not saying she won't be good, just that with the minutes crunch and as a sophomore maybe the expectations are a bit high.

 

[Sonny44]

Of all the questions ever posed on the Boneyard, this one is surely the most difficult to answer definitively and without equivocation. Geno has often said how they practice will determine if and how much they'll play. We know coach demands 100% effort and energy, perfect execution, the willingness to learn and to become a great defender, screener and passer (things most high school stars were not asked to do), to be a smart, trustworthy teammate, and much much more!

However, each of these four young ladies is extraordinarily talented and each brings a very unique and different skill set to the table. And therein lies the dilemma. What kind of game does Geno want to play? The following lists are a completely subjective, absolutely non-expert opinion, which will hopefully offend no one.

Strengths:
Natalie----- great size, excellent interior rebounder and defender, some inside offense, college experience
Gabby------ incredible hops, fearless interior rebounder and inside scorer, quick, solid defender, energy
Napheesa---versatile, does everything well, relentless, great teammate, internat'l experience
Katie Lou---incredible shooter with unlimited range, great length, drives the basket, internat'l experience

Question Marks (weaknesses):
Natalie------foot speed, passing/screening skills, offensive range, conditioning
Gabby-------mid-range and 3-point shot, ball handling, ability to defend BIGS
Napheesa---need to get stronger (I had to type something here)
Katie Lou---strength, defense, ball handling

IF Geno wants to spread the floor and open up the half court game, as Kaleena's skills enabled him to do, he might go with Katie Lou...
IF Geno wants to run and transition well, as he did last year, Napheesa, Katie Lou and Gabby all fit the bill...
IF Geno wants to go BIG for matchup purposes, or to help Stewie and Morgan down low, Natalie is your girl...
IF Geno wants to refrain from starting a freshman and go with experience, Gabby or Natalie...
IF Geno wants to play the kid who can do anything and everything he wants from a starter, Napheesa it is...

Geez, I'm feeling a bit like Rudyard Kipling...

Bottom Line... THERE IS NO WRONG ANSWER TO THE QUESTION...ONLY GREAT ONES.

Change those "IF's" to "When's" and you've got it.

 

[Sonny44]

To play at Dolson's level is an awful lot to ask. As I've said before, I don't think you can automatically transfer her numbers at Georgetown, particularly playing 35+ minutes a game when I'd put the over/under on her minutes this year at 18. I'm not saying she won't be good, just that with the minutes crunch and as a sophomore maybe the expectations are a bit high.

Dolson didn't play to Dolson's level until her junior year.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Dolson didn't play to Dolson's level until her junior year.

Well, the comment I responded to said Butler will come in as play like Dolson did as a junior. Yes, Dolson was better as an upperclassmen but still very good her first two years.

I just think the "smaller", quicker lineup UConn went with last year is ideal.

 

[JoePgh]

Natalie will start because she brings a physical presence. Is Morgan going to guard Mercedes Russell if they play UT? Four inches shorter and I don't know how many pounds lighter. Morgan is not a great jumper or rebounder. You want to get that fast break started, start Natalie, already a much better rebounder and more athletic than Stef, who was fantastic her last two years. Gabby, Napheesa and Katie Lou will get their minutes; they just won't be starting.

If you noticed, for almost all of last season after the Stanford game, there was a difference between offense and defense in the UConn lineup. On offense, Stewie was the 4 and Morgan was the 5. On defense, it was the opposite -- Stewie was the 5 (closest to the basket) and Morgan was the 4. If they should play against Tennessee and Russell, I would expect Stewie to guard her and Morgan to guard Graves. When they play South Carolina, it will be a bigger problem: Stewie will probably have to guard Wilson, leaving Morgan to guard Alaina Coates.

It's true that will keep Stewie in the paint on defense, having to play a physical game against physical opponents, but she is a big girl now and she can do that. I don't doubt that she will get substantial relief from Natalie coming off the bench in both cases. When Natalie comes off the bench, she could potentially replace either Stewie or Morgan, just as Kiah Stokes did.

The problem that Coates, Russell, and similar big and slow players will have is that they will not be able to guard either Morgan or Stewie (neither Coates nor Ebiam could stop Morgan from getting layups last year), and they could easily get in foul trouble trying to do so. If they don't, they could get worn out on defense, which will sap their effectiveness on offense. And I don't expect either Tennessee or South Carolina (or anyone else) to have a post player coming off the bench of the caliber of Natalie Butler.

Have you considered the other question: In your proposed front court of Natalie / Stewie / Morgan, who will guard the Diamond Deshieldses of the NCAAW world? You need a wing with a lot of mobility to do that, and I don't think any of those candidates would qualify. But Napheesa Collier (with some help from the rest of the UConn D) has the skills to get that done.

 

[CocoHusky]

Have you considered the other question: In your proposed front court of Natalie / Stewie / Morgan, who will guard the Diamond Deshieldses of the NCAAW world?

Joe I'm not sure I see a defensive issue with this big lineup. DD is a very talented wing but IMO no more talented than a wing than Loyd, McBride, Wiliams of USF, Mitchell of SC. UCONN always varies the look against these wing players quickness with MoJeff, Nurse with size, & even Saniya with face guarding. During the times when switching is called for Both Stewie and Morgan are more than capable of playing perimeter defense in stretches. So if and when UCONN has to matchup with DD I think your answer is Kia Nurse

 

[Huskies Rule]

My vote would be for Napheesa, but before I defend that, let me state the most important fact about this question:

If you were to poll Geno or CD at this time, and forcibly administer to each of them a truth serum that would leave them no choice but to answer honestly, they would both give "Don't know" as their sole honest answer. Everything depends on what happens in practice. Anyone on the team, practically, could be the fifth starter depending on how they and others perform in practice.

So the poll is really asking which player will most distinguish herself in practice. Based on what many of us saw in the U19's, I think Napheesa will be that one. The reason is her maturity and the all-around nature of her game. Unlike KLS, she is not a player with one major strength and a lot of "OK to pretty good" ratings in other aspects of her game. Unlike Natalie Butler, she is fast and quick enough to keep up at both ends of the court and defend any perimeter scoring threat, of which the team will see quite a few.

UConn's problems in 2015-16 will be second-order in nature, but if Natalie were to start, it would create a few problems:

1. The whole front court would be a little on the slow side, and would have trouble defending penetration by mobile guards and small forwards.
2. If Natalie, Stewie, and Morgan all start, then who would be the inside player that would come off the bench -- Dejenae Boykin? It seems better for two of them to start and for Natalie to be the first big player off the bench, just as Kiah Stokes was last year.
3. If Natalie, Stewie, and Morgan are all in the lineup at once, who plays on the wing? Morgan, with her sub-30% 3-point percentage, wasting her vast array of post moves? Stewie, also not a killer from the 3-point line, and big enough to score inside against almost anybody? It seems much more natural to have Napheesa on the wing with 2 of the 3 bigs.

All this is just a guess. If KLS lights it up in October and shows that the rest of her game is better than anyone thought, then she will start. If Saniya plays fantastically at both ends of the court, she could start. If Courtney has the best 3-point marksmanship on the team in practice and plays mistake-free basketball, she might even start.
but I would say the probabilities favor Napheesa.

Your analysis is excellent and spot-on, JP. But... you lost me with that clunker of a next-to-last line...come on. Tierney and Briana will start before Courtney ever does.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

IMO I think the UCONN fans are going to be pleasantly surprised with Courtley E.! I think hurting her leg and missing more than a month really destroyed her freshman year! she'll start her sophomore year with a clean slate and will revert to her fantastic work ethic and shooting skills! Someone compared her to "Kelly Faris with a 3-point shot!" She's a coaches daughter and has a fine mind for basketball!
Don't give up on her too quickly!

 

[CocoHusky]

Since this thread is still open I'm going out on a limb and saying Boykin is the 5th starter because 1) Nobody else is saying it 2) I don't want to be accused again of "forgetting" about her 3) If I'm wrong nobody will remind me of it-Yea Right!

 

[calpedaler]

Since this thread is still open I'm going out on a limb and saying Boykin is the 5th starter because 1) Nobody else is saying it 2) I don't want to be accused again of "forgetting" about her 3) If I'm wrong nobody will remind me of it-Yea Right!

Is it really "going out on a limb" if you don't believe your statement to be true?

 

[CocoHusky]

IMO I think the UCONN fans are going to be pleasantly surprised with Courtley E.! I think hurting her leg and missing more than a month really destroyed her freshman year! she'll start her sophomore year with a clean slate and will revert to her fantastic work ethic and shooting skills! Someone compared her to "Kelly Faris with a 3-point shot!" She's a coaches daughter and has a fine mind for basketball!
Don't give up on her too quickly!

I hope Courtney surprises as well. Unfortunately the comparisonof Courtney to Faris may start and end with both being coaches daughters. Faris was an incredible athlete and her defensive technique & versality were immaculate-especially the moving of the feet. If not for the presence of Griner Faris could have won multiple Defensive POY awards. Courtney struggles with lateral defensive quickness whereas Faris might have been the best at it-Ever.

 

[CocoHusky]

Is it really "going out on a limb" if you don't believe your statement to be true?

Well,.... yes.... sort of, maybe. Of course my willingness to go out on a limb is directly proportional to how much company I have on the limb. You with me or Nah?

 

[rugbymate]

Trying to tie CocoHusky and Rshermvikes together....Courtney is not the next Kelly Faris and Boykin will not be the fifth starter....however, by the time Boykin graduates she will be thought of as a longer, more athletic Faris....go back and look at her three on three tourney and you will see a player who is fundamentally sound, quick footed, team first attitude on offense and defense, high BB IQ and very competitive. She will make an impact on the program and the fans.

 

[CajunHusky]

I hope Courtney surprises as well. Unfortunately the comparisonof Courtney to Faris may start and end with both being coaches daughters. Faris was an incredible athlete and her defensive technique & versality were immaculate-especially the moving of the feet. If not for the presence of Griner Faris could have won multiple Defensive POY awards. Courtney struggles with lateral defensive quickness whereas Faris might have been the best at it-Ever.

I agree Courtney Ekmark has a lot of potential ...when she did come back she struggled. It might not have been just the "stress reaction" ... didn't she take off her senior year in high school as well?.... I hope she has been busy with basketball and conditioning over the summer.

 

[Godfather]

Since this thread is still open I'm going out on a limb and saying Boykin is the 5th starter because 1) Nobody else is saying it 2) I don't want to be accused again of "forgetting" about her 3) If I'm wrong nobody will remind me of it-Yea Right!

I don't think any of the freshmen will start at the beginning of the season but you never know what will happen January/February timeframe

 

[Gus Mahler]

Trying to tie CocoHusky and Rshermvikes together....Courtney is not the next Kelly Faris and Boykin will not be the fifth starter....however, by the time Boykin graduates she will be thought of as a longer, more athletic Faris....go back and look at her three on three tourney and you will see a player who is fundamentally sound, quick footed, team first attitude on offense and defense, high BB IQ and very competitive. She will make an impact on the program and the fans.

I am SO hoping you are right, that it turns out well for her.

 

[JoePgh]

I hope Courtney surprises as well. Unfortunately the comparisonof Courtney to Faris may start and end with both being coaches daughters. Faris was an incredible athlete and her defensive technique & versality were immaculate-especially the moving of the feet. If not for the presence of Griner Faris could have won multiple Defensive POY awards. Courtney struggles with lateral defensive quickness whereas Faris might have been the best at it-Ever.

As I have said before, I think a better comparison for Courtney is Mel Thomas, not Kelly Faris. She has a similar level of athleticism to Mel, and potentially a similar caliber of 3-point shot. She is not likely to make mental mistakes. One thing she does have on Mel is about 4 inches of height.

Mel did quite well and played many minutes before her injury as a senior. Whether she would have had that many minutes on the teams of recent years is open to question, but it is possible. I think Courtney can be as good as Mel (i.e., not as good as Kelly), and can eventually play as many minutes as Mel would have played on the current team (far fewer than she actually played during the lean years that she was at UConn).