Crystal Dangerfield & Kyla Irwin FAXed LOI's

[Wbbfan1]

According to Carl Adamec, UConn did receive Molly Bent's LOI yesterday. He expects UConn to make an announcement sometime today about the signings.

 

[Blakeon18]

What do you think the chances are of Crystal starting in Game One?
IMO...very good....given her ability combined with her apparent work ethic.

 

[HGN]

What do you think the chances are of Crystal starting in Game One?
IMO...very good....given her ability combined with her apparent work ethic.

Blake, I think Crystal will play a ton next season at UConn. But not too many freshmen start the season opener at UConn regardless of who they are. I think the starting PG position next year will be Saniya's to lose. With Kia starting at the 2-guard spot. An option could be Kia starting at PG and either KLS , Ekmark , or Gabby at the 2-guard spot if Geno wants a bigger backcourt.

JMHO.

 

[HGN]

What do you think the chances are of Crystal starting in Game One?
IMO...very good....given her ability combined with her apparent work ethic.

Blake, I think Crystal will play a ton next season at UConn. But not too many freshmen start the season opener at UConn regardless of who they are. I think the starting PG position next year will be Saniya's to lose. With Kia starting at the 2-guard spot. An option could be Kia starting at PG and either KLS , Ekmark , or Gabby at the 2-guard spot if Geno wants a bigger backcourt.

JMHO.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

will be Saniya's to lose

Her IT Band injury really leaves us guessing about Saniya's game. I doubt Geno has anyone penciled in a next year's starting PG, though for many her she would be a sentimental favorite. When was the last time UConn's starting PG was a first time starter as a Senior? I don't know. There may be a quite famous one. Just asking.

 

[Aluminny69]

Right.... who's arguing that? I'd love to know.

Read carefully. It says Women's Teams, not just basketball teams.

There are several outstanding women's teams, including:

The North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer team has won 20 of the 27 Atlantic Coast Conference championships, and 22 of the 36 NCAA national championships.

All told, the Tar Heels are 777-58-31 in the 36-year history of the program, a winning percentage of .915. Anson Dorrance has been the only head coach for 37 years.

 

[JavaMan]

Here is UConn's announcement regarding Molly, Crystal, and Kyla.

WOMEN’S HOOPS INKS THREE IN EARLY SIGNING PERIOD
Bent, Dangerfield and Irwin Sign NLI’s on Wednesday
Geno Auriemma and UConn have received NLI's from three future Huskies.

​

STORRS, Conn. – The University of Connecticut women’s basketball team received National Letters of Intent from three student-athletes in the early signing period as announced by head coach Geno Auriemma on Wednesday. Molly Bent, Crystal Dangerfield and Kyla Irwin will all join the Huskies for the start of the 2016-17 season.

Molly Bent 5-9 | Guard | Centerville, Mass.
UConn's first signee from Massachusetts since Walpole native Nicole Wolff (2002-06) ... A high honors student in all of her semesters at Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts. Last year won the Physics and Creative Writing Award along with the Wickenden Award, which is the highest honor for a Tabor junior. Was also a straight-A student in her two years at Barnstable High School ... Played three seasons, starting in eighth grade, at Barnstable High and was coached by her father, George. She had 1,001 points. As a sophomore in 2012-13 she averaged 28 points per game and was named to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and ESPN Boston all-scholastic teams ... Transferred to Tabor Academy in 2013 and repeated her sophomore year. In both her seasons she's been named to the New England Prep School Class A All-Star team and Tabor reached the New England Class A tournament final in 2014 and 2015 ... Played AAU basketball for the Rhode Island Breakers ... Also plays soccer at Tabor. Was the leading scorer as a sophomore and junior (senior season not yet complete) and led Tabor to the 2013 New England Prep School Class B championship.

Geno Auriemma on Bent
Molly is Molly. She is an old-fashioned kind of guard. She is a throwback to the days when kids just played hard and competed. She sees things and is unselfish and is just a basketball junkie. Molly loves the game as much as anyone I’ve seen in the last 30 years and I think the people here are going to really enjoy watching her play.

[LINK] to the rest of the post covering Crystal and Kyla.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Her IT Band injury really leaves us guessing about Saniya's game. I doubt Geno has anyone penciled in a next year's starting PG, though for many her she would be a sentimental favorite. When was the last time UConn's starting PG was a first time starter as a Senior? I don't know. There may be a quite famous one. Just asking.

Good question. Can't think of any. But I agree with HGN that it is Saniya's to lose. And yes, she would be my sentimental favorite. And as HGN suggests, I could see Kia at the point and maybe Gabby or Lou at the two, NC at the three, etc.

Your question raises another thought: Since Geno got rolling in the Bascom era, there really haven't been all that many point guards at UCONN. There were only three in the 90s till '99. Then the Bird era. Then the Taurasi/Conlon era. I don't know who played it till Montgomery. Then . . . Doty one year. Eventually you get to Hartley and then Jefferson. Geno's done pretty well at this position.

 

[JoePgh]

Good question. Can't think of any. But I agree with HGN that it is Saniya's to lose. And yes, she would be my sentimental favorite. And as HGN suggests, I could see Kia at the point and maybe Gabby or Lou at the two, NC at the three, etc. Your question raises another thought: Since Geno got rolling in the Bascom era, there really haven't been all that many point guards at UCONN. There were only three in the 90s till '99. Then the Bird era. Then the Taurasi/Conlon era. I don't know who played it till Montgomery. Then . . . Doty one year. Eventually you get to Hartley and then Jefferson. Geno's done pretty well at this position.

Between Taurasi and Montgomery came the 2005 and 2006 seasons, in which (along with 2007) UConn did not make the Final Four. The front court talent (Strother, Turner, Charde Houston, and Jessica Moore in 2005) was good enough to make the Final Four in those years, but the guard play was not there. Announcers commented on how crippled the offense seemed, compared to the Taurasi era. Ketia Swanier and Mel Thomas tried to be starting point guards, but at that stage of their careers, they just weren't ready. Ashley Valley started a number of games and had some good ones, but she was not a consistent offensive threat.

Geno's offense requires a talented point guard who can take charge and who knows where everyone should be. Ketia had the physical talent but not the necessary quarterbacking skills.

As you note, that is the only time in the last quarter century when UConn has had a skill gap at that position, and I think Geno learned that he can't allow it to happen again.

I think Saniya will be the starting PG next year, or maybe Kia Nurse will assume that role and Lou will be the shooting guard. Crystal will get a lot of minutes (as Moriah did her freshman year) but will not be depended on to quarterback the offense. It will take her a year to learn it, as it did for Moriah.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Good question. Can't think of any. But I agree with HGN that it is Saniya's to lose.

Think Chong has a lot to prove to be the starting PG next year. Course, so does Dangerfield but I don't think it's Chong's to lose. We'll see how she looks this year.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

More on the '16 class:

http://elmcitytoeaglevillenhr.blogspot.com/2015/11/auriemma-thrilled-with-newly-signed.html