Better Next Year? Really?

[UcMiami]

I think Stewie gets damned if she do damned if she don't. I thought this past year she was special -- as usual. But when she is taking outside shots some say "why isn't she inside?" When she is inside some say "Look how bad she is getting beaten up."

As an old man I know if me or my friends get knocked to the ground we might break something. These 20 year olds bounce up. IMO Stewie's broad skill was used all season and was an enormous advantage. She just wasn't as efficient from 3pt shooting as she may become in he sr season. But it was "used" and versatility was on display and it was a great advantage. Butler will clog the lane to an extent so she had better lean to pass -- which I expect 100% she will. I expect Stewie and Tuck to shoot better from outside this year thus we may see her knock down more outside shots -- but I don't think this past year or next year we'll show any more of an appreciable "broad skill set."

I think the biggest area of relief for Stewart if Natalie is playing significant minutes is on defense. Too often Stewart was guarding power forward/center type players and having to bump and grind with them - with Natalie and Morgan who should both be better at that aspect of defense, Stewart will more often be guarding more wing type players in her own weight class.

 

[rugbymate]

I think the biggest area of relief for Stewart if Natalie is playing significant minutes is on defense. Too often Stewart was guarding power forward/center type players and having to bump and grind with them - with Natalie and Morgan who should both be better at that aspect of defense, Stewart will more often be guarding more wing type players in her own weight class.

I think that is exactly right....the other benefit is Stewie will be better positioned for the transition game. We are going to see a very fast and effective transition game that will rack up points quickly.

 

[psconn]

I don't expect Butler to be the Stef of her senior year but I do expect her to be damn good. She was the rookie of the year in her freshman year, even though it wasn't as good a league at that time as it was in Stef's freshman year. I don't think that anyone would have ever thought Stef was going to be a SPECIAL PLAYER in the aftermath of her freshman year. Her stats weren't anywhere near Butlers and Butler has been said to have exactly the same type work ethic that Stef had and she's had a year of tutelage under a wonderful staff with weight training that's special and she's also had the chance to practice against some amazing players, namely Breanna and Kiah and Morgan and KML. I'm inclined to think doing so more than compensates for who Stef played against in the early part of her UConn career. KLS is certainly going to have more quickness and mobility than KML had and I feel that she might have a bit more of a midrange game of the KML FRESHMAN version so what's not to like? Inevitably I'd be stunned if her defense didn't exceed KML's because of that quickness. Her basketball IQ is said to be special, as was KML's so that appears to be a draw. When we get a player like Collier who has been compared by people here to Maya and to Morgan for her well rounded game and athleticism, what's not to like. The development of our returning ladies should be taken into account, as well, shouldn't it? Don't you feel that our freshman girls won't be better heading into their sophomore years? Nothing wrong with some optimism, I don't think!

Don't get me wrong Buzz, I think NB and KLS are going to do great things for UConn. What I was trying to say was that the optimism is great (and probably well founded) but there really won't be "a clone" of Stefanie. That girl was a one-off. Natalie will be great in her own way and KLS will be great in hers. I seem to recall KML comparisons to DT3 and Maya... she was not like either but became great in her own way.

C'mon OCTOBER!

 

[hoophuskee]

I think the biggest area of relief for Stewart if Natalie is playing significant minutes is on defense. Too often Stewart was guarding power forward/center type players and having to bump and grind with them - with Natalie and Morgan who should both be better at that aspect of defense, Stewart will more often be guarding more wing type players in her own weight class.

I don't agree. I can't recall one pf or center where I felt nervous or anything like that. Further I like having Stewie inside just as much as I know she can play wings - inside she is force. I recall a couple of times ND coming in the lane and throwing up bricks from a few feet away even though they had an outstanding look - and if Kiah wasn't in the game-- it was all because of Stewie's presence. Stewie forces so much havoc inside. Sure one in a while big players are going to score on her -- but with those long arms -- I think she belongs on inside defensively in college a lot. Pros is different but frankly she should be able to play both sf and pf even at the pro level imo.

 

[hoophuskee]

I think that is exactly right....the other benefit is Stewie will be better positioned for the transition game. We are going to see a very fast and effective transition game that will rack up points quickly.

We had it last year, didn't we? How does Butler make us faster? We had 5 players (because KML guarded on the perimeter) that were darn good on fastbreaks. While KML wasn't fast -- you had to account for MoJeff's ability to drive so one defensive player on her - they were at her mercy. That led ot KML 3's. Sure Stewie will get down faster at the other end. Now as she is going full speed you may get overly aggressive guards and wings looking to knock her hard. Secondly, I don't know how often Stewie is going to pull up for a spot up 3's like KML did. If she does, it certainly won't be as effective as KML's. Nor if you give her the ball as wing 30 feet from the basket, I don't think that would be a great strength. She's liable to pick up a few more turnovers and offensive fouls.

IMO - the strength early in season will be their halfcourt efficiency. Not the transition until the combo of Gabby/KLS and NC enter the game. (I expect Butler to start.).

 

[UcMiami]

I don't agree. I can't recall one pf or center where I felt nervous or anything like that. Further I like having Stewie inside just as much as I know she can play wings - inside she is force. I recall a couple of times ND coming in the lane and throwing up bricks from a few feet away even though they had an outstanding look - an if Kiah wasn't in the game-- it was all because of Stewie's presence. Stewie forces so much havoc inside. Sure one in a while big players are going to score on her -- but with those long arms -- I think she belongs on inside defensively in college a lot. Pros is different but frankly she should be able to play both sf and pf even at the pro level imo.

No question she can block shots and intimidate - and she still can do most of the same by providing that weak-side help. The issue is when she was guarding the big girls from SC or TX she was taking a lot of physical abuse - not just elbows to the middle when refs weren't watching but having to muscle against folks weighing significantly more than she did. She'll still get her blocked shots - just as she did when she was playing with Kiah in the game doing the rough stuff this past year - but she will have more energy for the offensive end if she is not wrestling all the time on the defensive end.

 

[hoophuskee]

No question she can block shots and intimidate - and she still can do most of the same by providing that weak-side help. The issue is when she was guarding the big girls from SC or TX she was taking a lot of physical abuse - not just elbows to the middle when refs weren't watching but having to muscle against folks weighing significantly more than she did. She'll still get her blocked shots - just as she did when she was playing with Kiah in the game doing the rough stuff this past year - but she will have more energy for the offensive end if she is not wrestling all the time on the defensive end.

But I don't think you can get as much weak side help when teams have three decent shooters on the perimeter. Such as ND and MD. IMO those were the teams to fear the most. It's the teams with great guard play to fear more. And frankly Dayton gave us a bit of a tussle in 1st half. It's not the bigs that are as much of the worry.

As far as the big girls from USC- we saw what happened there. We embarrassed them. Their bigs had zero impact.

As far as energy - I didn't see any dropoff from her from beginning of games/season to end of season. So I saw no "wear down."

 

[CL82]

I think Stewie gets damned if she do damned if she don't. I thought this past year she was special -- as usual. But when she is taking outside shots some say "why isn't she inside?" When she is inside some say "Look how bad she is getting beaten up."

As an old man I know if me or my friends get knocked to the ground we might break something. These 20 year olds bounce up. IMO Stewie's broad skill was used all season and was an enormous advantage. She just wasn't as efficient from 3pt shooting as she may become in he sr season. But it was "used" and versatility was on display and it was a great advantage. Butler will clog the lane to an extent so she had better lean to pass -- which I expect 100% she will. I expect Stewie and Tuck to shoot better from outside this year thus we may see her knock down more outside shots -- but I don't think this past year or next year we'll show any more of an appreciable "broad skill set."

Life is choices. So is basketball. Natalie will draw a big who won't be available to defend Stewart. Now if that big tries to help on Stewart's defender on drive Butler is a big target open by the basket. I think Butler will make game planning the Huskies even more difficult. It's fine if you don't though.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Don't get me wrong Buzz, I think NB and KLS are going to do great things for UConn. What I was trying to say was that the optimism is great (and probably well founded) but there really won't be "a clone" of Stefanie. That girl was a one-off. Natalie will be great in her own way and KLS will be great in hers. I seem to recall KML comparisons to DT3 and Maya... she was not like either but became great in her own way.

C'mon OCTOBER!

KML never had the mobility of either DT3 or Maya. She doesn't have the mobility of KLS either. She is great in her own right but her speed and quickness aren't nearly her strength.

 

[MilfordHusky]

It started the morning of April 8th!!!
What a silly question!

Actually, in the Geno project, he talked to the team in the locker room late on the night of April 7. He expressed how proud he was of the team for working to improve over the course of the year. He acknowledged how difficult it has been and commended them. Then he said the team would miss K and Kiah. He continued by saying that the guys coming back would have a difficult task, harder than they could imagine. That's Geno--always coaching.

 

[MilfordHusky]

They will certainly be deeper next year. It's not easy to replace the leading 3 point shooter in womens ncaa history, but the rotation may be longer then we have seen in a while.

Absolutely true, but who better to ease that loss than the player who matched or broke Kaleena's high school records?

 

[MilfordHusky]

I do not think Lou will 'replace' Kaleena in next years team - not the senior Kaleena. But I do think she will provide the same weapon that KML did as a freshman and sophomore before the coaches and KML worked on the expansion of her game..

Exactly. I don't think anyone should expect that Lou will replace the senior and All-American KML. But she may be close to the equal of freshman KML. That would be fabulous.

 

[Waquoit]

Exactly. I don't think anyone should expect that Lou will replace the senior and All-American KML. But she may be close to the equal of freshman KML. That would be fabulous.

OK. so how does replacing the senior KML with the freshman KML make next year's team better?

 

[Waquoit]

KML never had the mobility of either DT3 or Maya. She doesn't have the mobility of KLS either. She is great in her own right but her speed and quickness aren't nearly her strength.

But she excels at the core of the game. Putting the ball in the hoop. How many opposing rallies were snuffed out before they even got going by one of her daggers?

 

[Aluminny69]

Exactly. I don't think anyone should expect that Lou will replace the senior and All-American KML. But she may be close to the equal of freshman KML. That would be fabulous.

Personally, I am going to temper my enthusiasm and expectations for KLS. She has been plagued by nagging injuries over the past year, and continues to play a lot of basketball. We'll see how her body responds to the rigors of college basketball.

BTW, both Charde Houston and Epiphany Prince scored a lot of points in high school. It did not translate to the same scoring success in college.

 

[msf22b]

OK. so how does replacing the senior KML with the freshman KML make next year's team better?

Very simple;

Collier is just as good and perhaps more college- (Geno) game ready.
Sort of another Tuck but more athletic, faster and with better wheels.
And with the tough Boykin, you have wing and power forward backup and maybe 2's as well.

A unique class.

 

[Bonpland]

I think that we'll go nine deep in the rotation next year and that we'll have one of, if not the, most athletic teams we've ever had. They'll be moments with Mo, Gabby and Collier on the floor that will stun the opposition with speed. KLS I agree will have to find her game on this level. She's a good shooter and has a high on-court IQ, but we'll have to see how she adjusts to playing alongside and being defended by superior athlete's. That can be said of every incoming freshman, but for a player of her physical statue it can be a struggle to find a way to establish herself against Nina Davis type defenders.
While it's very true that most other programs are far behind ours in developing a winning culture, the level of athleticism in WCBB has increased dramatically over the past few years. There are great athletes everywhere now, they're just not (in most cases) led by great coaches.
The biggest improvement next year will be that we add another layer of speed (Collier) and strength (Boykin). I think it will take more time for KLS to find her place here. Just shooting is not enough anymore, and I don't think that she is strong enough or long enough to do what Stewie does. If she can find a way to give us what Ann did, hitting three's and slicing along the baseline when her defender ignores the inside then I think that she might very well become a KML type presense for UCONN over the next four years. (The killer shot and the supporting inside game.)
Next year though will be all about Collier and Gabby making their presense felt coming in off of the bench. Stewie, Tuck, Butler, Nurse and the Rocket start.

 

[Sonny44]

Okay, with NC 10 done and properly celebrated, we are left to wonder. What is the likelihood of UConn being even better next year? Are we perhaps over-estimating the skillset/contributions of the incoming freshmen? Are we under-appraising the losses due to graduation? Quite aside from the rise or fall of the competition, which is an overload of variables, how does a team that has won two NC's become demonstrably better in 2015-16?

My inquiry is prompted by D's comment, "You'd better get them this year..."

the keys are Gabby and. Natalie, not so much the new gals.

 

[UcMiami]

KML when she came to Uconn was short, slow, with a killer shot - her freshman year she played 28 minutes a game and shot 3s at 38% - she scored 15.0 ppg and led the team (this was year one post MM.) She had 206 rebounds, 64 assists, 56 TOs, 47 steals, and 20 blocks. On that team, two of the starters averaged less than 10 ppg - Kelly (6.7) and CD (5.0) - and a third Dolson was at 10.4. Only two players seeing significant minutes were shooting above 50% from the field. The team was desperate to replace Maya's (22.8) scoring and did not have another viable option and this was not an NC team though they did get to the FF. KML was very impressive as a freshman and improved most of her numbers as a sophomore. As a senior she was playing on a very different team and the numbers reflect that:
PPG 14.9, rebounds 158, assists 104, TOs 56, Steals 42, Blocks 14 - except for assists and A/TO her numbers are down, even though she was a much better player! The team around her had changed.

No freshman coming into this years team needs to provide the kind of scoring that KML provide her freshman and sophomore years. And no freshman is going to be playing 28 minutes a game. In fact Jefferson and Stewart the two 4th year seniors are the only two players likely to get around that many minutes.

The team this year's freshman will be joining returns 4 starters who all averaged 10+ points per game, and three shoot above 50% with the fourth having faded to 48.6% as the freshman wall hit. Three of them also shoot over 40% from three, they all have over 100 assists and the worst had a 1.6 A/TO ratio. They all contributed at least 100 rebounds, three had more than 50 steals and the fourth had 31. This is a mature team with a bench that includes another 200+ rebounder/60+% shooter/50 Assist/46 steal player and a 47% shooter/70+ rebound and assist player.

The Freshman and Butler will be expected to contribute in somewhat limited minutes whatever their strengths are. They will not be expected nor does the team need them to lead in any statistical category. Butler will be expected to contribute a low post presence on both ends, rebounding, and some points. Lou will be expected to contribute some outside shooting, some interior work, and some defense. Collier will be expected to contribute a little bit of everything similar to the role Morgan has played, Boykin is perhaps the enigma in that she is a glue type player who is probably a bit like Kelly with better offensive skills and weaker defensive skills.

As a whole the team does not need any of the new players to be brilliant, though all have the possibility to show brilliance. If two out of the 4 are competent the team will be very good indeed, if all four are, the team will be as deep as any team in Uconn history. And if one or more show flashes of greatness, watch out!!!

 

[stamfordhusky]

OK. so how does replacing the senior KML with the freshman KML make next year's team better?

It doesn't. It just helps mitigate the loss, at least in terms of 3-point shooting. However next year's team clearly should be better because:

1. Stewart should be better.
2. Tuck should be better.
3. Jefferson should be better.
4. Nurse should be better.
5. Williams should be better.
6. Chong should be better.
7. Ekmark should be better.
8. Butler will be eligible - and likely will be a very good center.
9. KLS gives them a very versatile addition.
10. Collier is a nice addition.
11. Boykin is a nice addition.


If healthy, all of the improvements listed above easily outweigh the two departures.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

This will be one of the top 2 or 3 most athletic teams Geno has had here at UCONN! He will play combo's that will be very special and create match-ups for opponents that will be impossible to defense! MoJeff, Williams, Collier, Tuck. and Nurse for example will be awesome!
A lot of interchangeable parts!

 

[CocoHusky]

I don't agree. I can't recall one pf or center where I felt nervous or anything like that. Further I like having Stewie inside just as much as I know she can play wings - inside she is force.

I think I'm with UC on this one. These are the games ( Stanford, Rutgers, & Maryland) that I can remember thinking get Stewie out of the post . I don't like Stewie havng to defend full time in the post against bulkier PF or centers. It wears on you too much.

 

[Geno-ista]

OK. so how does replacing the senior KML with the freshman KML make next year's team better?

Your not taking into act the maturation of 4 starters, two bench players, and a seasoned 6'5" post, and 3 new thorobreds! Let's try this approach- How did this year's do so well losing two all Americans at such key positions?

 

[hoophuskee]

[

I think that we'll go nine deep in the rotation next year and that we'll have one of, if not the, most athletic teams we've ever had. They'll be moments with Mo, Gabby and Collier on the floor that will stun the opposition with speed. KLS I agree will have to find her game on this level. She's a good shooter and has a high on-court IQ, but we'll have to see how she adjusts to playing alongside and being defended by superior athlete's. That can be said of every incoming freshman, but for a player of her physical statue it can be a struggle to find a way to establish herself against Nina Davis type defenders.
While it's very true that most other programs are far behind ours in developing a winning culture, the level of athleticism in WCBB has increased dramatically over the past few years. There are great athletes everywhere now, they're just not (in most cases) led by great coaches.
The biggest improvement next year will be that we add another layer of speed (Collier) and strength (Boykin). I think it will take more time for KLS to find her place here. Just shooting is not enough anymore, and I don't think that she is strong enough or long enough to do what Stewie does. If she can find a way to give us what Ann did, hitting three's and slicing along the baseline when her defender ignores the inside then I think that she might very well become a KML type presense for UCONN over the next four years. (The killer shot and the supporting inside game.)
Next year though will be all about Collier and Gabby making their presence felt coming in off of the bench. Stewie, Tuck, Butler, Nurse and the Rocket start.

I don't agree with the tone of this. I think you are VASTLY under-rating skill over athleticism. I'll agree regarding injuries which some others brought up but that is about it. I agree with many that Butler will start too, but KLS, if healthy, is a beast of a player Though as a frosh she'll have a few up-and downs. She's around 6'3 with a super-quick release. Teams aren't going to put "Nina Davis" on her. They are going to be putting "Nina" on Stewie and Tuck. And possibly if smaller have to load the paint a bit for Butler too.

UCONN has too many weapons for a team to focus their energies by placing of their best defenders on KLS. And with that said- they aren't going to be facing Nina ever game/ every week. KLS at 6'3 with very quick release is going to be so much better than you think- if she is healthy.

She is going to be a much better player than Ann. Much better. When Anne took a 3 she needed to be wide open.

Boykin missed a year. There is no way she is going to get minutes over KLS unless KLS is injured.

 

[Waquoit]

Your not taking into act the maturation of 4 starters, two bench players, and a seasoned 6'5" post, and 3 new thorobreds! Let's try this approach- How did this year's do so well losing two all Americans at such key positions?

Believe me, I'm accounting for everything. I think it's others that aren't accounting for how important KMLs shooting was.

And as successful as this season was, this year's team loses to last years team. Handily at that.