How deep?

[chrissaran]

mhhuskies, I agree with your eight players. There won't be enough minutes after the first two or three rounds for others to get minutes, let alone major minutes. Breanna, Moriah, Morgan, Kia, Gabby, Natalie, Napheesa and Katie Lou. An (over) abundance of riches but we'll take it.

 

[CocoHusky]

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Like many Uconn WBb fans I would love to see both Courtney and Gabby become what we all thought they would be. Each recruiting class come with a lot of hype, including this one, as has been point out above--Freshmen often find college harder practices, longer seasons, excessive travel, interferring practices and study time--something has to go. Gabby is quick off her feet, good open floor defender, a good shot close in, an asset against smaller frontlines--

But in terms of what Geno says about players pre season----one has to remember all the nice kind words about Kiah's outside shooting, how effective her scoring was in practice and how fast Saniya was, and how effective her 3 ball shooting was. How did that work for Uconn?? . I don't want to say Geno was blowing smoke, but maybe it was his was of giving them incentive to get better. Many think Geno is God--if he is I want him to re write portions of the bible and change the 10 commandments down to 1---no one really follow those 2 through 10 anyway. 5, 7 and 9 are looked at as jokes in movies 10 is a common pre occupation.

Broadway maybe it is a function of the neighborhood that I live in and being blessed with a gorgeous wife but 10 is not a pre-occupation of mine. With regards to Geno not being God neither of us would be able to prove or disprove it. With regards to Geno saying something to motivate a player-absolutely. But I also thing we (Note: The Author is including himself) practice a lot of selective hearing and more selective memory when it comes to our favorite players. IMO Geno is pretty transparent and unvarnished in his critique and praise of players.
For example: Geno on Chong in practice and pre-season 2014: “She been doing really well making things happen” She had to be because Geno made her a starter right?
Geno in response this question 2 months later:
Q: Geno Saniya was doing so well in pre-season to what to you attribute her being where she is now-struggling with her confidence.
Geno’s Answer: “We started playing games, that’s what happened.”
My point is if Saniya is one of your favorites you are more likely to remember the former and dismiss the latter as many are doing now with Kiah’s professional success.

 

[Bgillon]

Broadway, I agree with CoCo about your view that Saniya and Kia are going to be interchangeable. Kia just led her National team to a gold medal over the US and scored 33 points. What did Saniya do over the summer to top that since Kia was the starter last season?

 

[PhillyCoach]

Your eight completely discount Natalie Butler, Saniya Chong and Courtney Ekmark. Butler a 6'5" post who from all accounts has been terrific will almost certainly be in the rotation, Saniya played a role last year and there's no reason to believe she won't have at least a similar in the upcoming season, and do we know yet the level of play of Courtney Ekmark, the biggest jump for a college player is between the freshman and sophomore seasons? While Napheesa and KLS are great players they are still freshman, with everything that the term implies.

Hi iamcbs - Most (if not all) posters agree that Natalie Butler will be in the eight player rotation. I would guess that over 50% put her in as a starter. IMHO Chong will be the third guard in during the season--like last year. She will get a good amount of minutes throughout the season. But like last year, crunch time during the season (SC, ND, etc) and NCAA crunch time--Chong won't get much time. Several posters above state the Geno loves a short bench and he has his 5 starters playing a lot of minutes to keep NC sharp. I agree that is true.

It is a shame that Courtney started slow last year and never caught up. The major reason she probably won't see much more time than last year is --- she was brought in as a shooter. Lou will out shoot her this year and I believe Chong will too. Courtney was an average defender when she was on the floor, like the other deep subs. Last but not least comes Boykin. She is the mystery woman. Many people forget about her completely. She is a high motor 6'2" top 10 AA. I see Gabby and Collier as her main competition. (She won't play at a 5 spot/Butler.)
She lost a lot of time last year so she starts a half-step behind. Collier is hot and Gabby has the experience. I see her as third of the 3. No one knows the future, but Boykin has a tough hill to climb to get minutes. UConn is so loaded that MAYBE--JUST MAYBE, Geno will get more players in this year than in the past. ???????

 

[Bonpland]

My comments about Ekmark and Chong were not meant to be critical of them as basketball players. I just think that this team is going to be very deep and that they will have a hard time taking PT from the eight ahead of them. I'll be hoping each game that Courtney can take advantage of her minutes and drop a few threes and that she'll become our own sniper, and maybe the three incoming freshman will have a hard time keeping up in the deep end of the pool, but for Courtney it will be a difficult task. Nothing would make me happier than seeing her become one of Geno's first options off the bench.

And Broadway VA, that's the point; all of those girls could play, and we rooted for them to find a significant role, but Geno didn't go that far down the bench when they were here. All of this speculation is just that, and none of us knows if injuries will factor into this year's equation. Maybe Nurse does go into a funk, and maybe Soniya becomes a major contributor, maybe, and maybe not, and those of us with the time and inclination to consider these things can spend the next three months analyzing, suggesting, and pontificating about the team's future. That's why we post here on the Board.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

I don't know anything about Boykin's game, but maybe she could develop
into a Morgan Tuck sort of player who isn't flashy but does everything well
and becomes indispensable. Who knows? It's always fun to see how these
kids develop over their time at UConn.

 

[Geno-ista]

What's interesting is your parenthetical listed names at the end. All three in their careers had a really good game or two and were worth watching otherwise. Can't remember the game where Ashley Valley went off on a tear scoring--everyone asked, I think Geno too, where did that come from/??\
I don't know about Gabby, Boykin and KLS but I think N. Collier and Saniya will play often this year. I wouldn't be surprised to see Saniya and Nurse be played interchangeably and Collier subbing for Butler, Collier is that good a rebounder.

Wow- totally disagree VA- Nurse never left the floor after starting in the 3rd game last season - as a freshman. SAniya will be relegated to a role player, resting Mo Jeff and Nurse at best. Nurse just carried Canada to the championship scoring 30+ pts.
Ekmark is in the biggest trouble as far as minutes. And Geno's going to want to bring the Freshmen in if there is marginal drop off from any of the upperclassmen.
I still maintain that unless Butler can really pop 13-15-17' jump shots. She'll be used more like Kiah Stokes than Stef! I think Gabby, Collier & KLS will see a lot of time.
I can't even imagine what a line ups of Messiah, Nurse, Stewie, Tuck, Gabby, Collier- what a stable of thorobreds!!!! Although Butler looked pretty lean and mean last year.

 

[mudcat]

By the time March roles around how many players get playing time (not just the last two minutes) of the NC, semi, etc? I would say 8 is a good guess (Stewie, Mo, Morgan, Kia, Natalie, Gabby, KLS and Naphessa). Of course it will depend on development during the season, but how many others?

As I read your post (and others subsequent to it) I thought everyone was ignoring how difficult it is for first year players to adjust and break into the playing rotation. I think all three freshmen will struggle at times, and I don't expect any, with the possible exception of Collier, to see a lot of playing time during the first half of the season. Given the makeup of the team (players at each position) I think it will actually be easier for Boykin to find a place than will KLS. All seem to agree that KLS will get major minutes, which I disagree with. It would not surprise me to see Chong get more minutes next year than KLS. Time will tell.

 

[msf22b]

Very good question, even better time frame -March. Last year in the month of March UCON had only 3 games which were semi-competitive. 2 With South Florida and 1 with Dayton.
There will be plenty of blow out games in March so I’m saying the rotation will be 10 (Stewie, Mo, Morgan, Kia, Natalie, Gabby, KLS, Naphessa, Chong & Boykin). When April rolls around it will be reduced to these 7 (Stewie, Mo, Morgan, Kia, Natalie, KLS, & Naphessa)

Seems a little light on true/ball-handling guards, unless you think that KLS and Phessa will fill that role.
And you're writing off Gabby?
It's a real conundrum: too many good and/or potentially good players.

 

[CocoHusky]

Seems a little light on true/ball-handling guards, unless you think that KLS and Phessa will fill that role.
And you're writing off Gabby?
It's a real conundrum: too many good and/or potentially good players.

Conundrum indeed! I would never write off Gabby. With the addition of Boykin and Butler to the front court I foresee 4 players (Tuck, Boykin, Butler, Stewie) capable of playing the 4 & 5 position. This is the same as last year except it was Gabby & Stokes. When you look at the roster Gabby, The Pheenom, KLS are listed as guards. Gabby has the ability to excel as a ball handling guard- She was a PG in High school but the was 3 full basketball seasons ago. So I am definitely not writing her off; just guessing on someone else (KLS and The Pheenom).