Can Tennessee compete with UConn?

[RadfordRam]

Tennessee will be much better than what you've written here. I don't think they beat UConn, but you're selling them completely short.

 

[Bone Dog]

Versatility is the key part of this class. Everyone can play out of position, Morgan and Sarah can play 1-4, Allie 1-2 and can be a wing player as well. Chen 1-2. The more people we have that can limit minutes of injury prone people like Azzi, the better.

I'm not sure I see Allie playing pg, and generally her versatility may be more limited than you think. I can see her at the 2 or the 3. Her game is a lot like Caroline's with the same limitations (quickness) and similar strengths. But she's not as big and strong as Caroline, so I don't expect her to be able to operate in the paint as well. Allie is often listed at 6'1", but she looks more like 6'0" to me. This is still a good height for the 2-3 guard spot.

In HS Allie mainly played against smaller players, even jumped the opening tip for her team. She may have been the biggest kid on her team. And from what I could see this was true of much of the league her school played in. I think she'll need to adjust to the speed and size of D1 maybe more than Sarah and Morgan will. That may just mean that she operates primarily as a perimeter shooter initially. This was exactly what Geno did with Q last season, and I'm hoping she'll play a more pivotal role this coming season.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

I'm not seeing how Tennessee competes with UCONN next year, this is the least talented roster in Knoxville in 40+ years. The goal should be to make the tournament.

Are you talking the WNIT?!? for their tournament next season....

 

[HopJim]

UConn Tenn women's games currently have little to do with competitiveness. These games are for the benefit of women's basketball, bringing up the great history of both teams, particularly when they played each other for national championships. Great opportunity for sports reporters to hype the game, even though most of the more educated fans feel it will be several years before Tenn is on the same level as any of the top 10 teams in the country.

 

[yhun89]

I'm not sure I see Allie playing pg, and generally her versatility may be more limited than you think. I can see her at the 2 or the 3. Her game is a lot like Caroline's with the same limitations (quickness) and similar strengths. But she's not as big and strong as Caroline, so I don't expect her to be able to operate in the paint as well. Allie is often listed at 6'1", but she looks more like 6'0" to me. This is still a good height for the 2-3 guard spot.

In HS Allie mainly played against smaller players, even jumped the opening tip for her team. She may have been the biggest kid on her team. And from what I could see this was true of much of the league her school played in. I think she'll need to adjust to the speed and size of D1 maybe more than Sarah and Morgan will. That may just mean that she operates primarily as a perimeter shooter initially. This was exactly what Geno did with Q last season, and I'm hoping she'll play a more pivotal role this coming season.

True about Allie. Though she did have some high assist numbers so it seems she knows the court pretty well? Idk a PG needs good handles and good vision and she seems to have 1/2 things? Either way the 1 is gonna be KK or Chen.

 

[Skeets]

This is such an interesting thought. Geno has had many superstars. But the distinctive feature of his teams was their commitment to hard work, especially on defense. That’s the hardest thing to recruit for and it’s always been Geno’s main focus. It also why CD is always on the players about body language and attire. It’s about self-discipline. It’s what they teach up there in Storrs.

This is also why I said a few weeks back that the starters in November would be the starters from last season — Paige KK and Ash — plus Jana and Azzi (if she’s ready) or Ice. This is the group that understands the defense best… except of course for Jana, but she’s the one Geno needs to master it soonest.

Back to the question of work: no one returning worked harder than Paige KK and Ash last season. Heck, they carried a wounded team to the final four almost entirely on effort, especially on defense. Geno wants every new kid on the roster to emulate them and he’s going to use every tool at his disposal to make them examples.

How quickly will Sarah Allie Kaitlyn and Morgan learn this lesson and master the defense? I’m inclined to think it will be very quickly. After all, Geno recruited them for this virtue in particular. They each have major talent. Allie as a shooter, Morgan as a passer defender and all-around hustler, Kaitlyn as a passer defender midrange shooter, and Sarah in shooting passing rebounding. But it will be the defense that gets them into the main rotation.

I think Q and Ice understand already how to get into the rotation, as do Aubrey Caroline and Ayanna. What remains to be seen for Q is whether she can expand her game into better onball defense and transition offense. For Ice it’s whether she can move her feet better in the low post to avoid fouling, and can she develop more aggressive low post moves on offense. She can’t default to fade-aways and perimeter shooting. Geno wants her to stop shying away from contact. She can do this. She just needs to recover that confidence.

I agree with the November starters, but somehow Chen needs to be there as well. Maybe Geno goes 4 guards to start? That would put a very experienced team on the floor. Going small worked last year, well I guess there wasn't much choice...

 

[Bald Husky]

I agree with the November starters, but somehow Chen needs to be there as well. Maybe Geno goes 4 guards to start? That would put a very experienced team on the floor. Going small worked last year, well I guess there wasn't much choice...

No four guard offence except in situations where Geno needs more movement, and 3 pointers are needed to get in the game. We have Ice, Sarah, Jana, Yanna, all of whom did not play last year except for Ice. These Bigs have to be part of the line-up for our team to be competitive with the other contenders. They also need work, learning the system better and getting some chemistry with the guards. Last year showed that we need more height and rebounding to get to the top. Although we have talent on the perimeter, the last few seasons were not that great on 3-pt shooting percentage, so offensive rebounding is critical as to get us more shots instead of the one and done. We need all facets of our game to be ultra competitive, and I believe that if we want to win the NC that the team has to be ULTRA competitive.

 

[yhun89]

I agree with the November starters, but somehow Chen needs to be there as well. Maybe Geno goes 4 guards to start? That would put a very experienced team on the floor. Going small worked last year, well I guess there wasn't much choice...

Lineup for Nov:
Chen
Paige
Azzi
Sarah
Jana

He’s going to want to get Jana and Sarah as comfortable as possible because the bulk of the teams success will heavily rely on them in the post/spreading the floor. Azzi is just a guess, but he might put Ash out there as well instead. The only locks for the starting lineup are Paige and Jana, because Geno won’t have another center to put out there. She’s there no matter what.
KK will be Chen’s subsitute whenever she needs a break. I expect KK will have 15-25 minutes a game. Especially if her 3 point improved.