Worried?

I completely agree with Ice, Notre Dame will be a first-class team next year.

Lord, you are an obstinate man. It is an opinion. That means if the moon was in the sky last night, it counts. It is an OPINION. I do not believe, at this point in the season, that UConn has the best freshman class. You can quote until your private parts are blue, you can give me all the "facts" you want to, you can quote all the "experts" you want to, my OPINION is that UConn doesn't have the best freshman class AT THIS POINT. Do you understand?

Until this last game, Stewart, in "big" games didn't have a clue what or where she was supposed to do on offense or defense. MoJeff, can't even get in the game for meaningful minutes and until two games ago Tuck (because of her injury) couldn't get in the game. Incidentally, I believe she will be the best of the three when all is said and done.

So, lets just leave it as a difference of opinion.

Fine, it's an opinion not based on fact.

No problem.

Yep. But there are storm clouds on the horizon. The men's team has seen them, the fans of the lady Huskies not so much.

There are no lady huskies. Sheeesh.

How far on the horizon? UConn is primed for a great class in 2014.

Thanks to the people taking this thread seriously, because it is one of the best topics discussed here in a couple of years. I wrote this thing on the fly today and tried to copy it in. I apologize for the font, which is awful. Anyway, a few thoughts, for whatever they are worth:

Some of what I'm thinking came out of a previous post entitled "This team just doesn't have it," a well-reasoned argument by a loyal fan that while UConn is a wonderful team and it's a great accomplishment to be $3 in the country, it still is #3 and unlikely to advance further than that this year.

So what happens if you take that argument (assuming you agree, and I do) and run with it? For example, what will next year be like? Well, UConn will not have enough players. That much is clear. They are getting a top=notch guard, and boy could they use more guards. But if someone goes down with an injury, as inevitably happens, the team will find its hardest 3-4 games very difficult to win. Just look what happened this year. UConn loses its second game against ND and people immediately suggest that things would have been different if Brianna Banks were playing. They may well be right, but think about it. You are the #3 team in the country, recruiting All Americans from all over, with the best coach in women's basketball, and you need the presence of a player who until this year was simply not a factor?

What will next year be like? It will not be pretty. UConn will win the games it is supposed to, often by staggering amounts, and will struggle mightily against the other 3-6 teams.

And what will it look like down the road? UConn will get some top-notch recruits, but despite Geno's statements (what's he going to say, after all?), its presence in The League With No Name will hurt his chances to consistently bring in the best. I doubt there will be any more UConn classes like the Fab Five combo of a few years ago.

So here's something to think about, Boneyarders, something raised by another poster: Nothing ever stays the same. Could it be that women's basketball, like most everything else, is going to run in cycles, and that UConn is the next Tennessee? That it is the Last Old Thing, and that other teams -- Baylor, maybe, or Notre Dame -- are the Next New Things? And speaking of ND, it's not like they are standing still next year. Don't they have some recruits coming in?

There are several factors that argue for this cycle theory, as much as we may not like to think about them. First is the league situation. Yes, UConn may some day get into the ACC or some other legitimate league, but the damage may be done by then.

Also, there are more top-quality recruits, and they are being spread farther around the basketball universe. Let's face it: In spite of protestations to the contrary and in spite of picking up a fine recruit, UConn got its clock cleaned in the last recruiting class. North Carolina is apparently a first-rate recruiting stop in spite of its second rate coach. North Carolina? Seriously? Seems that way. I’m afraid that this may be the new reality, and maybe UConn recovers, adapts and does just as well as ever, and maybe it becomes as irrelevant as Louisiana Tech.

That would be next season, 2114, right?

UConn's recruiting class has one (1) guard, as of now. Chong may (and I stress may) be a suitable point IN TIME or not, but UConn really needs a couple of highest quality point guards that can run a team. It they don't get them, there will be a lot of talent recruited that will be wasted over time. If there has been anything that has been shown this year, it is the absolute necessity for quality guards.

Banks, may or may not return to her former self. At this point UConn doesn't know. Nobody does. MoJeff may or may not develop into a serviceable point. I know I will get killed for this statement, but I don't see her being the answer. Her body type just doesn't seem to be the kind to develop into a highest level D-1 point. I HOPE I AM MISTAKEN and she proves me very wrong. OK, who else? No, she is not a point. Bria can hopefully help, like this year. But, what if she doesn't recover her sophomore skills?

One looks a the roster and surmises they should be great and maybe they will be. But this year certainly hasn't gone to plan at this point.

You must be a fun person to sit next to at a game.

You say MoJeff can't be a good pg because of her body type?. You must joking.

I will also point out that the only two teams that UConn has not beaten this year take big hits for graduation, while UConn loses only one significant contributor.

I wish I could get to a game, but I live in Virginia now

One of them, ND, has a highly rated PG to replace SD. Baylor still has Simms next year. Yes, they won't have BG, but with their team leader coming back they will be better than we give them credit for now. Look at what ND did this year after 4 seniors graduated because SkyDig returned. Not many thought ND would be in the mix this year.

As to UConn's loss, I believe Kelly's not being here next year will be huge. More than people think. Again, I hope I am wrong.

IMO, UConn doesn't have the depth they need. I acknowledge, depth without skill doesn't mean much.
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All of this conjecture is futile. And, the pessimism has little basis. UConn hasn't had enough close games to form any statistically valid opinions. Everyone misses foul shots, even two in a row. Research has shown that no more shots are missed in pressure situations than at any other time in a game. Just because shots were missed in an important game doesn't mean anything for the future. If McBride's off the mark 3 pt shot hadn't bounced around and gone in, little of this discussion would be happening.

We can still win it all this year. With very minor differences, we could be undefeated this year. I certainly didn't think Hartley's year would be like it's been. I didn't expect Faris to become a scoring threat. Who knows what will happen next year. Jewel Loyd might quit and become a nun. Sims might have a Hartley year. Our 3 soon-to-be sophomores might all come out next year like world beaters. Meanwhile, I'm just going to enjoy the rest of this season and not worry about the future just yet.

Expectations heading into the season were that we would have the deepest team in years. Today, that is no longer reality. Reality is this team has been challenged continually by significant injuries, including those lingering from last year and new ones. Kiah finished last season needing surgery, Bria sprained her ankle during the summer, etc. Since the beginning of the season Bria re-sprained her ankle, Kiah had stress reactions, KML had a concussion and a quad contusion, Caroline's knee has been day to day, Morgan's knee has cost her time, and, of course, most tragically of all we lost Brianna to the dreaded ACL. In other words this team has been through the wringer dealing with the physical. In one game we lost Stef 10 minutes before the tip and Brianna 10 minutes in and still fought on.

We, the fans, expected depth but it evaporated, we expected a returning AA and depth at guard but beginning with a difficult injury she has struggled with injury and then confidence and guard depth has been like trying to grab dust in the wind.

How difficult has the situation been? Well, Swiss Army Knife player, Kelly Faris, who played the 4 last year has been forced into taking minutes not just at guard but at point guard. The good news is that Kelly has done things this season almost no one expected from her, including a huge game the other night. There have been wonderful moments emerge, ones that have kept us in the hunt.

Three losses, all in games in which we led in the second half. Games in which we were competitive right to the end.

Is this season what we thought, no, but is it a reason for despair, not in the least. Three loses to the # 1 and #2 teams by a total of 16 points and 3 OTs despite all those hurdles. Wow!

Personally, the odds of this team are light years better than another UCONN team that won a NC a couple of years ago. A team many thought was in just as much disarray prior to that run, a team that had not dominated every other opponent as this Husky team. Ten games, ten wins that is what it will take. A little more from an AA guard who clearly has it in her, a few more contributions from 3 fantastic freshman, a few special plays from a couple of leg weary warriors, and KML and Kelly continuing as the dynamic duo and this team can get done.

If they do, won't this be ONE of the most amazing and wonderful rides any team has had at UCONN. But a disappoint as a team, never ever.

Life is hard, it knocks you down, then you get up bruised and wounded, and kick its a$$.

I continue to be amazed at the number of people who want to change direction completely because we lost a game. They seem completely incapable of asking "What courses of action have allowed the team to be the most successful team over the past 15 years?" and "Because we lost a game, should we change those actions?"
Far far too many "fans" think they know better and have close to zero basis for those thoughts.
I read here how we're "playing the wrong players", "players shouldn't have to earn their time in practice", "you only learn in games", "our offensive structure is inadequate" and on and on.
How do you get to be an expert when you actually can't do?

Recruiting is always a crap shoot,however,Geno always seems to find gems others miss(Dolson,Faris,Banks).The freshmen will have a years experience,and Stewart will bulk up a bit(remember how Dolson had to work on her body).Next year,another scoring machine comes into play(Chong),and with a healthy Hartley,we may see tremendous scoring all around.i agree with those who believe that the run won't be over for some years to come.

7 TIME NATIONAL CHAMPIONS (not including 2012-3 season)

13 FINAL FOUR APPEARANCES

(not including 2012-3 season)

18 ELITE 8 APPEARANCES

(not including 2012-3 season)

20 SWEET 16 APPEARANCES (not including 2012-3 season)

18 CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS

(not including 2012-3 season)

19 CONFERENCE REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONS

(not including 2012-3 season)

DOOMED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (not including 2012-3 season)

One at a time.

1. Where is any parity in wcbb? Today it's Baylor, Notre Dame and UConn, then Stanford, Duke, maybe a couple others. Then the field. OK, if you grant that parity has not yet arrived, let's see some evidence to support your insight.

2. Soon? Muffet's best pitch is that ND will play in the Catholic wcbb league for a year, then go to the ACC and hope the ACC does not get swallowed up by a combination of the (stronger for football) Big 10 and SEC. Same goes for Mulkey as her Big 12 is pressured by Big 10 and PAC-#TBD. There are only two wcbb teams that are "national" (ND and UConn) and the future of each is tied to football and the vagueries of eventual conference alignments.

3. There is no indication that Geno is going anywhere for 5+ years. When he does leave, he will still have 2-3 years of incoming recruits. It's far too soon to worry about this. So I won't.

Nicely said, Ice...it's nice when someone can put your feelings into words...

No I'm afraid you are the obstinate one. You claim ND's freshmen are better than UCONN's. But you base it on nothing. When shown statistically that that is not the case you still cling to your illusion.

Sure, you are entitled to an opinion, even if it is a dumb one.