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GlennMacGrady
Joined: 03 Jan 2005 Posts: 8290 Location: Heisenberg
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Posted: 04/02/18 6:12 pm ::: UConn 2018-19 |
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This thread is to discuss all things UConn for the 2018-19 season.
Azura Stevens has declared for the 2018 WNBA draft. This means UConn will lose three of its seven (and only seven) player rotation -- Stevens, Gabby Williams and Kia Nurse. Since UConn is bringing in only two recruits this season, guard Christyn Williams and post Olivia Nelson-Ododa, UConn will even be thinner and less experienced than it was in the just ended season.
To be frank, it doesn't appear at this time that anyone on the team will ever be a rotation player for Geno other than starters Samuelson, Collier and Dangerfield, the little-used seventh player Megan Walker, and the two incoming freshmen. Geno will now be reaping the thin remaining harvest of his recent recruiting -- only two players in 2015 (KLS, NC), one in 2016 (CD), one (who plays) in 2017 (MW), and two in 2018. I assume that Geno will have only six players in his rotation this season, which includes the two inexperienced freshmen.
Geno has no commits yet from the class of 2019. He really needs a monster class, in terms of both quality and quantity (guards and posts), to maintain the elite level the team has been at for the past many years. |
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cthskzfn
Joined: 21 Nov 2004 Posts: 12851 Location: In a world where a PSYCHOpath like Trump isn't potus.
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Posted: 04/02/18 8:14 pm ::: |
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Is this the dawning of the
Age of No FF Trips?
Age of No FF Triiiiiiiiiips??!!
No FF Triiiiiiiippppppssssssss!!!!
No FF trips!
No FF trips!
No FF trips!
Suddenly 3 players leaving!
Who'll be left for the rebounding?
What of D and good court vision?
3 point goals and pass precision?
Mystic Crystal revelation?
Megan Walker liber-a-a-tion?
No FF trips!
No FF trips!
_________________ Silly, stupid white people might be waking up.
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WNBA 09
Joined: 26 Jun 2009 Posts: 12647 Location: Dallas , Texas
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GlennMacGrady
Joined: 03 Jan 2005 Posts: 8290 Location: Heisenberg
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Posted: 04/02/18 10:15 pm ::: |
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WNBA 09 wrote: |
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2767866-notre-dames-relentless-swagger-sparks-biggest-ncaa-championship-comeback-ever?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial
Quote: |
Mississippi State knew we were coming back. We saw the fear in their eyes in the third quarter, and the third quarter is always ours and will always be ours." |
This kid is unbelievable. You gotta love her confidence , i know i do !! |
Is Mabrey transferring to UConn for 2018-19? Geno didn't recruit her, but he'd probably take her now. Same for Shepard. More likely as a tranfer, that rebounding machine from TAMU. Whatsername? |
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WNBA 09
Joined: 26 Jun 2009 Posts: 12647 Location: Dallas , Texas
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GlennMacGrady
Joined: 03 Jan 2005 Posts: 8290 Location: Heisenberg
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Posted: 04/02/18 11:31 pm ::: |
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tfan
Joined: 31 May 2010 Posts: 9816
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Posted: 04/03/18 12:49 am ::: Re: UConn 2018-19 |
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GlennMacGrady wrote: |
This thread is to discuss all things UConn for the 2018-19 season.
Azura Stevens has declared for the 2018 WNBA draft. This means UConn will lose three of its seven (and only seven) player rotation -- Stevens, Gabby Williams and Kia Nurse. Since UConn is bringing in only two recruits this season, guard Christyn Williams and post Olivia Nelson-Ododa, UConn will even be thinner and less experienced than it was in the just ended season.
To be frank, it doesn't appear at this time that anyone on the team will ever be a rotation player for Geno other than starters Samuelson, Collier and Dangerfield, the little-used seventh player Megan Walker, and the two incoming freshmen. Geno will now be reaping the thin remaining harvest of his recent recruiting -- only two players in 2015 (KLS, NC), one in 2016 (CD), one (who plays) in 2017 (MW), and two in 2018. I assume that Geno will have only six players in his rotation this season, which includes the two inexperienced freshmen. |
In 2017 Auriemma got the #13 rated recruit by Hoopgurlz, Mikayla Coombs. The fact that he doesn't play her doesn't change the fact that she is a top recruit. He has developed a habit of a short rotation of only future WNBA players in recent years, so there isn't anything to say he won't play a #13 recruit in the future if he doesn't have 7 other future WNBA players. And with all the purple prose given to Auriemma with regard to player development, she should eventually play at a higher level than 13th best in her class, if the endless compliments are true. Also in 2017, UConn got the #29 recruit, Lexi Gordan. #29 recruits are very highly rated. Just shy of being McDonald's all-American. How many teams in the country, including those that make the Final Four, don't have a #29 or worse in their rotation? I wouldn't leave her out of the analysis either, just because he isn't playing her behind future WNBA players.
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J-Spoon
Joined: 31 Jan 2009 Posts: 6831
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Posted: 04/03/18 1:42 am ::: |
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How much did Collier or G. Williams play their Freshman year?
I wouldn't write of M. Williams or any of this years freshman quite yet.
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toad455
Joined: 16 Nov 2005 Posts: 22482 Location: NJ
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Posted: 04/03/18 9:56 am ::: |
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Yeah, curious who their starters will be? Collier, Samuelson & Dangerfield of course, but who'll be their starting PG? Center?
_________________ LET'S GO LIBERTY!!!!!!
Twitter: @TBRBWAY
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ucbart
Joined: 21 Nov 2004 Posts: 2830 Location: New York
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Posted: 04/03/18 10:20 am ::: |
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toad455 wrote: |
Yeah, curious who their starters will be? Collier, Samuelson & Dangerfield of course, but who'll be their starting PG? Center? |
Crystal Dangerfield is our PG and was this past year. Anyone who thought Nurse was a PG, was just wrong.
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lynxmania
Joined: 18 Feb 2011 Posts: 10697 Location: Minnesota
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Posted: 04/03/18 10:20 am ::: |
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J-Spoon wrote: |
How much did Collier or G. Williams play their Freshman year?
I wouldn't write of M. Williams or any of this years freshman quite yet. |
Gabby played in 38 of 39 games with 0 starts and averaged 15.6 minutes a game.
Napheesa played in all 38 games and had 3 starts. She averaged 17.2 minutes a game.
Megan Walker played in 32 of 37 games with 0 starts. She averaged 15.5 minutes a game.
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dtsnms
Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 18815
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Posted: 04/03/18 11:46 am ::: |
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They're bringing back two National POY candidates, the player I thought was the most improved I saw all year, this year's number one recruit (granted it was a down year and she wasn't in the KLS type class), add this year's HS POY, and a post that can dunk with ease.
I wouldn't rule them out of the title picture so quickly. Success just not as easy as if Stevens were there.
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ArtBest23
Joined: 02 Jul 2013 Posts: 14550
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Posted: 04/03/18 12:27 pm ::: |
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dtsnms wrote: |
the player I thought was the most improved I saw all year |
Honestly, I'm not sure who you're referring to.
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GlennMacGrady
Joined: 03 Jan 2005 Posts: 8290 Location: Heisenberg
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Posted: 04/03/18 2:08 pm ::: |
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ArtBest23 wrote: |
dtsnms wrote: |
the player I thought was the most improved I saw all year |
Honestly, I'm not sure who you're referring to. |
I'm curious to know also.
However, I agree that UConn shouldn't be "rule[d] out of the title picture", but they're certainly not nearly as ruled in as the past several years. I merely suggested that UConn will be "thinner and less experienced" than the season just ended, and that Geno will likely have a dinner-time lineup of six players.
As to starters, KLS, Collier and and Dangerfield are locks. The only shooting guard with elite tools seems to be freshman Christyn Williams, whom I expect eventually to be an All-American. The fifth spot will have to go to Megan Walker or ONO. I'd give the nod of experience to Walker, with ONO coming off the bench to relieve Collier, Walker and Samuelson. Unless something dramatic changes with Coombs, Gordon, Bent, Irwin or Camara, I expect to continue to see them only in big leads or garbage time.
The second hammer blow to UConn's lineup and title chances will potentially come in the 2019-20 season, after AA's KLS and Collier graduate. There's now nothing known in the pipeline. Having lost Charli Collier, Ezi Magbegor, Sedona Prince and perhaps others in 2018, Geno needs to get at least three and better yet four of these 2019 players, whom he's believed to be recruiting, to maintain elite steamroller status (prefaced by their ESPNW ranks):
1 -- 6-2 Samantha Brunelle, F
2 -- 6-3 Laeticia Amihere from Canada, F
5 -- 6-1 Haley Jones, W
6 -- 6-1 Jordan Horston, G
11 -- 6-4 Aliyah Boston, P
21 -- 5-10 Leilani Correa, G
22 -- 5-9 Charisma Osbourne, PG |
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snzuluz
Joined: 10 Aug 2007 Posts: 196
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Posted: 04/03/18 2:40 pm ::: |
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I think some recruits are seeing what it is like to sit the bench at UConn and no longer want that for themselves...even when they were up 30 - 40 points Gino still had his starters in during the 4th quarter...with no championship games the last two years, recruits might not see UConn as the end all- be all destination...to get a full ride at UConn these benchers cannot be that bad...otherwise I question the coaching staff to judge talent at the high school level...if those players cannot get in when you are up 30-40 points, why did you sign them in the first place...why have they not developed under your coaching to warrent getting in when you have clearly won the game?
UConn got out played and to be honest out coached the last two years in the final four...it's easy to coach when you are up game after game, but it seems the last two years, the same mistakes were being made even before Arika's shot and William's shot the year before...the mental side and how you perform with time and score situations has been lacking from UConn...they also have NO leadership on the court and it does not seem UConn is recruiting those types of players (Diana or Sue Bird types)...ND is a tight group of players who have been in the trenches and played so much smarter then UConn in crunch time...that is the intangible that UConn is missing...MENTAL TOUGHNESS! I also think players are tired of the sarcastic tone Gino uses towards his players etc...it gets old quickly!
As Geno always says, the only thing that matters to us is winning a national championship and that has not been done the past two years...A. Stevens left Duke for many reasons, but I bet her #1 was to win a National Champonship and that did not happen...seems she quits on teams - the WNBA which pays POORLY... so not sured why she is ready for the WNBA when she could not even start for UConn...
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bballjunkie
Joined: 12 Aug 2014 Posts: 785
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Posted: 04/03/18 7:07 pm ::: |
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Maybe she knew she could never get to the Geno standard. The fact she couldn’t make the starting rotation at her height could be construed as a red flag. As far as players go, I know for a fact that the only ND player Uconn would ever consider is Young.
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Fighting Artichoke
Joined: 12 Dec 2012 Posts: 4076
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Posted: 04/03/18 7:49 pm ::: |
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bballjunkie wrote: |
Maybe she knew she could never get to the Geno standard. The fact she couldn’t make the starting rotation at her height could be construed as a red flag. As far as players go, I know for a fact that the only ND player Uconn would ever consider is Young. |
Then UConn shouldn't have any trouble beating ND. During the Diggins' years when ND was beating UConn regularly, I remember MANY UConn fans arguing that not one ND player would ever have started at UConn. Of course if that was the case, and ND kept beating UConn, wouldn't that imply that coaching was the difference? Of course these fans then mostly blamed the refs.
By the way, do you care to divulge how you know that Geno would never want any of the other Irish players?
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J-Spoon
Joined: 31 Jan 2009 Posts: 6831
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Posted: 04/03/18 8:24 pm ::: |
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lynxmania wrote: |
J-Spoon wrote: |
How much did Collier or G. Williams play their Freshman year?
I wouldn't write of M. Williams or any of this years freshman quite yet. |
Gabby played in 38 of 39 games with 0 starts and averaged 15.6 minutes a game.
Napheesa played in all 38 games and had 3 starts. She averaged 17.2 minutes a game.
Megan Walker played in 32 of 37 games with 0 starts. She averaged 15.5 minutes a game. |
Thanks, so by comparison Geno might have had a little less faith in Walker especially in big moments but OTOH Gabby proved that playing 15 minutes as a freshman could still lead to being an all American a couple of years later so I think Walker still could take a big leap forward.
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GlennMacGrady
Joined: 03 Jan 2005 Posts: 8290 Location: Heisenberg
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Posted: 04/03/18 9:16 pm ::: |
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Fighting Artichoke wrote: |
During the Diggins' years when ND was beating UConn regularly, I remember MANY UConn fans arguing that not one ND player would ever have started at UConn. Of course if that was the case, and ND kept beating UConn, wouldn't that imply that coaching was the difference? Of course these fans then mostly blamed the refs. |
Got curious about the record so I looked it up. UConn-ND split 8-7 during the Diggins years.
I would concede that, as good a coach as Geno is in most areas, Muffet is better at developing many players, especially guards. She seems to be able to take an X level player and turn her into an X+2 level player, whereas Geno might let such a player languish on the bench by recruiting over her, or not recruit her in the first place. Since Diggins, Muffet seems to be acquiring more high level recruits to start with.
Since this thread is about 2018-19, there should be no doubt that Notre Dame will begin as the top ranked team -- not only because they are the defending champion, but because of all the returning veterans and injured as well as a strong recruiting class. Baylor and Texas should also be powerful. |
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myrtle
Joined: 02 May 2008 Posts: 32341
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ArtBest23
Joined: 02 Jul 2013 Posts: 14550
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Posted: 04/03/18 9:29 pm ::: |
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bballjunkie wrote: |
Maybe she knew she could never get to the Geno standard. The fact she couldn’t make the starting rotation at her height could be construed as a red flag. As far as players go, I know for a fact that the only ND player Uconn would ever consider is Young. |
Must be why he recruited the hell out of Ogunbowale, Turner and Westbeld.
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summertime blues
Joined: 16 Apr 2013 Posts: 7870 Location: Shenandoah Valley
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Posted: 04/03/18 10:34 pm ::: |
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I’m wondering how much the AAC is starting to hurt UConn. Sure, they play the most punishing OOC schedule of any team. They have to. But then they play a whole conference schedule of basically cupcakes, interrupted by one or two decent games. That has to hurt them. You just can’t stay as sharp as you should when every game is a blowout.
_________________ Don't take life so serious. It ain't nohows permanent.
It takes 3 years to build a team and 7 to build a program.--Conventional Wisdom
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ArtBest23
Joined: 02 Jul 2013 Posts: 14550
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Posted: 04/03/18 10:45 pm ::: |
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summertime blues wrote: |
I’m wondering how much the AAC is starting to hurt UConn. Sure, they play the most punishing OOC schedule of any team. They have to. But then they play a whole conference schedule of basically cupcakes, interrupted by one or two decent games. That has to hurt them. You just can’t stay as sharp as you should when every game is a blowout. |
I think the conference thing is a bit overblown. ( I did think it would affect recruiting more than it has.)
Reality is that Geno wasn't really stellar in end of game situations in tight or OT games when they were in the Big East, either.
I think he is great at teaching and preparing players and a system. I'm not convinced that strategic in-game coaching and adjustments are his strength. He's kind of rigid in his game plan. But, hey, it's worked for him a lot.
His recruiting, and his preparation and team development, have put him in a position where he rarely needs to confront tight endings.
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bballjunkie
Joined: 12 Aug 2014 Posts: 785
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Posted: 04/04/18 9:45 am ::: |
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[quote="Fighting Artichoke"][quote="bballjunkie"]Maybe she knew she could never get to the Geno standard. The fact she couldn’t make the starting rotation at her height could be construed as a red flag. [b]As far as players go, I know for a fact that the only ND player Uconn would ever consider is Young.[/b][/quote]
Then UConn shouldn't have any trouble beating ND. During the Diggins' years when ND was beating UConn regularly, I remember MANY UConn fans arguing that not one ND player would ever have started at UConn. Of course if that was the case, and ND kept beating UConn, wouldn't that imply that coaching was the difference? Of course these fans then mostly blamed the refs.
By the way, do you care to divulge how you know that Geno would never want any of the other Irish players?[/quote]
Really FA, you sound like the biggest ND mouthpiece on here. Recruiting by Uconn has nothing to do with that, I had thought ND was similar but clearly you are saying that’s not the case.
From the horses mouth. And if you are unsure look at 6’6” Stevens that should tell you if you don’t play up to his standards then you don’t play.
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GlennMacGrady
Joined: 03 Jan 2005 Posts: 8290 Location: Heisenberg
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Posted: 04/04/18 4:44 pm ::: |
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Paige Bueckers (left), Aliyah Boston, Samantha Brunelle and Hailey Van Lith celebrated their national 3×3 title last week at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. (Photo by USA Basketball)
Rumors abound that Bueckers, Brunelle and Azzi Fudd are personally tight and will go to Notre Dame. Other rumors favor UConn.
Boston is a must get for UConn in 2019, most especially since UConn, up until ONO in 2018, had not successfully recruited a true and tall low post player from high school since Breanna Stewart (2012) or Kiah Stokes (2011) or Stefanie Dolson (2010), taking your pick as to which was the truest low post player. |
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