Another Updated ESPN Way Too Early Top 25

[Fairfield Fan]

UConn doesn't spend a lot of time seeking "great" players in the portal because they already have "great" players.
The teams that do it right may pick up one to fill a need, but the big players (Tennessee) have to do it because they cannot field a very competitive team the conventional way. The portal is the only way some teams can improve their team, and to their credit they do a good job. In the portal there are only a handfull of "great" players, very good players yes, but not up to UConn standards. Our recruiting is fine, and eventually this portal thing will slow down to the point that less and less good players will be available, and the schools that continue to do it the right way will end up on top as usual. We don't have to keep up with anyone, they have to keep up with us.

Azure Stephens, Dorka Juhasz, Evina Westbrook. Those were excellent talents whom Coach Geno leaped at, and who were integral to UConn's success. We do need top talent sometimes. Those transfer recruits prove it.

 

[HuskyNan]

Azure Stephens, Dorka Juhasz, Evina Westbrook. Those were excellent talents whom Coach Geno leaped at, and who were integral to UConn's success. We do need top talent sometimes. Those transfer recruits prove it.

Don’t forget Brittany Hunter.

However, there was also Tihana Abrlic, Christine Rigby, Rashidat Sadiq, and Jessica MacCormack. Geno swore off transfers after Tihana, saying he didn’t have time to coach them out of their bad habits. But the Dark Years after Diana graduated convinced him to jump into the transfer pool again. It’s does seem he and the staff have been pickier although having more fish in the pool has certainly helped.

 

[Bigboote]

@visitingcock, I LOL so hard after reading your last paragraph, as your description is right on point. Also, starting next season, everyone (players and fans) in the SEC will eventually agree with UCONN that Coach Abe’s team plays a very “different” game.

Yeah, after a few games against Coach Abe &co, Dawn’s gonna think back fondly of the Sophie Cunningham days at Mizzou.

 

[Florida Fan]

No change for UConn

Women's college basketball Way-Too-Early Top 25: Tennessee, NC State and LSU continue to climb

Tennessee, NC State and LSU are among the biggest risers, and Georgia enters the top 25, after some big transfers and coaching changes.

www.espn.com

WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY too early, but interesting. Player portal is a gift (to some) that keeps on giving. We are still fragile, but a quality graduate transfer-inside -out scorer could be the difference maker for us. But Ari's progress continues to be a big question mark.

 

[socal613ws]

Ebo was decent at TX. But she basically was a big body in the low post who averaged 8 pts and 6.7 rebounds while shooting only 44%. In answer to Geno’s rhetorical question about transfers, “What’s wrong with you?”, Ebo does not run the court particularly well, has extremely limited shooting range and isn’t much of a passer, although she certainly can set screens.

But more to the point, assuming that UConn was interested in Ebo coming to UConn as a reserve to play in UConn’s 4-out motion offense, just who’s minutes would Geno sacrifice so that Ebo gets 15+ mpg? The likely answer to that question might just be that you sacrifice the PT of your 2 incoming freshmen, delaying the development of 2 big, athletic forwards who both posess significantly greater skillets than Ebo.

there is no delaying of development. The best players play, so I guess Lou is delaying the development of Caroline if she gets more minutes than her right?

 

[Centerstream]

WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY too early, but interesting. Player portal is a gift (to some) that keeps on giving. We are still fragile, but a quality graduate transfer-inside -out scorer could be the difference maker for us. But Ari's progress continues to be a big question mark.

Who is Ari?

 

[oldude]

there is no delaying of development. The best players play, so I guess Lou is delaying the development of Caroline if she gets more minutes than her right?

Lou & Caroline have nothing to do with this. There are 120 mpg that will be readily allocated among 5 guards.

You suggested that Ebo would be a nice addition to UConn. We will see how she does at ND, but I contend that she doesn’t posess the athleticism or skill set to be successful at UConn.

The Huskies have 80 mpg to divide up among 6 talented forwards. Adding Ebo to the mix doesn’t make UConn better. It simply complicates UConn’s rotation by taking minutes away from more talented players.

 

[eebmg]

Who is Ari?

My guess is a shortened version of Amari.

 

[socal613ws]

Lou & Caroline have nothing to do with this. There are 120 mpg that will be readily allocated among 5 guards.

You suggested that Ebo would be a nice addition to UConn. We will see how she does at ND, but I contend that she doesn’t posess the athleticism or skill set to be successful at UConn.

The Huskies have 80 mpg to divide up among 6 talented forwards. Adding Ebo to the mix doesn’t make UConn better. It simply complicates UConn’s rotation by taking minutes away from more talented players.

so am guessing you are banking on a few things: #1 that Annaya Patterson and Brady have huge impacts as rookies which nothing has told me that to be the case. Aubrey Griffin who didn't play a single minute last season to be playing a higher expected rate than before, and to have Lou get 20 min a night. That seems a lot of wishful thinking imo.

 

[Bone Dog]

This is the time for wishful thinking! What's the point of realism in June?

 

[oldude]

so am guessing you are banking on a few things: #1 that Annaya Patterson and Brady have huge impacts as rookies which nothing has told me that to be the case. Aubrey Griffin who didn't play a single minute last season to be playing a higher expected rate than before, and to have Lou get 20 min a night. That seems a lot of wishful thinking imo.

Wrong. Please don’t make assumptions on my behalf. Up front, Dorka and Aaliyah will be solid as the 4/5 combination. Ayanna & Ice will both make significant contributions as freshmen. Suggesting they will be “huge” is hyperbole. Amari and Aubrey are both wild cards. But if one or both step up, UConn is overloaded with talented Bigs.

What I also maintain is that every single forward currently on UConn’s roster is more athletic and versatile than Ebo, who is not a good fit for the Huskies motion offense and switching defense. I don’t know that Ebo is a much better fit at ND, but at least she’ll be playing zone defense there.

Finally, I have no idea how many minutes Lou gets per night. What I know is that UConn lost 2 guards to the WNBA and they added one solid grad student to shore up their depth at guard.

 

[Bone Dog]

What I also maintain is that every single forward currently on UConn’s roster is more athletic and versatile than Ebo, who is not a good fit for the Huskies motion offense and switching defense. I don’t know that Ebo is a much better fit at ND, but at least she’ll be playing zone defense there.

I know right. I'm just trying to picture Ebo in a switching D. How frequently did Olivia or Aaliyah or Dorka end up in a high hedge or guarding someone near the perimeter? I only watched a handful of Texas games from last season, but I can't recall a whole lot of times Ebo was asked to leave the lane on D. She just doesn't have the foot speed to be effective out there. Maybe she can contribute at ND. After all, Dodson had a pretty good year there and didn't leave the center of the zone much.

 

[BRS24]

Today's update

 

[Bone Dog]

Interesting chart. Why do you think Indiana made it into the top 10, @BRS24 ?

 

[ucbart]

Anyone else think NC State is too low? Diamond Johnson/Saniya Rivers has a chance to be one hell of a back court and maybe the best in the country.

And, can someone explain the love Stanford gets? They don't have guards. I get that their wig/post game is top notch, but like, they don't have a PG or shooters.

 

[GEAinAustin]

U Conn plays 6 of this top 15, that alone should be proof that this ranking is questionable.

 

[GEAinAustin]

Tennessee, Iowa and Louisville are over ranked .

 

[Bone Dog]

And, can someone explain the love Stanford gets? They don't have guards. I get that their wig/post game is top notch, but like, they don't have a PG or shooters.

My question, too. Tara has recruited a couple of freshman guards, including Nunu Agara from Hopkins HS. Maybe they’ll be able to cover the 1-2 along with Hannah Jump. But perimeter shooting was the key to their low post game the last few years, and I don’t see where that’s going to come from. Betts and Brink are likely to be in foul trouble a lot this year without the threat of perimeter shooters. I’m surprised they’re even ranked in the top 10. Someone must be seeing something I’m not.

Picture a lineup like Jones Brink Jump… and then who? Prechdel? Iriafen? Betts? That will be a slow team, huge but slow. Stanford has been a quick team these past few years. If they’re going to rely on a speed game again that means playing the freshmen. If not, then it means rethink the positionless offense.

Either way it means they should have to prove themselves before they’re immediately anointed a number 1 or even a 2 seed. Lots more questions about them than about us w/o Paige.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Anyone else think NC State is too low? Diamond Johnson/Saniya Rivers has a chance to be one hell of a back court and maybe the best in the country.

And, can someone explain the love Stanford gets? They don't have guards. I get that their wig/post game is top notch, but like, they don't have a PG or shooters.

I agree that NCSU is too low, even though we haven't seen that Saniya Rivers is a shooter. I'd move them up 3-4 spots.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Tennessee, Iowa and Louisville are over ranked .

I definitely agree about Tennessee and Iowa. Louisville looks about right to me. Jeff finds a way, especially on the defensive end.

 

[WFFL]

Anyone else think NC State is too low? Diamond Johnson/Saniya Rivers has a chance to be one hell of a back court and maybe the best in the country.

And, can someone explain the love Stanford gets? They don't have guards. I get that their wig/post game is top notch, but like, they don't have a PG or shooters.

Pretchel and Jump are premiere shooters . The PG spot is where the mystery lies . Overall with a 2 headed monster like Haley Jones & Cameron Brink the tree will be there at the end. Tara has a knack for developing a player into a position randomly during the season and they become a player of notice . Wonder whom that will be this year ? NC State is Top 5 material imo. Boyd , Johnson , Rivers , MiMi Collins , River Baldwin , Brown-Turner make a solid core . They are way to low imo i do not see Louisville or ND being more talented than that group .

 

[UConnCat]

Not sure about NC State. Wes Moore tried hard to get Shaylee Gonzalez to transfer in so he wouldn’t have to play Diamond Johnson at the point. She wants to shoot, not get others involved. Also, going from Cunane to Mimi Collins/River Baldwin. I dunno.

 

[WFFL]

Tennessee, Iowa and Louisville are over ranked .

Some may say UCONN is over ranked as well . There's so many question marks for a lot of the top 10 teams outside of SC .

 

[Going4Natty]

“The title is theirs to lose” I kinda have a problem with that statement as they can never lose the title the have since it’s on a yearly basis. Better said they are the early favorite to win another.

That's Geno's line! I call plagiarism!

 

[HuskyNan]

Some may say UCONN is over ranked as well . There's so many question marks for a lot of the top 10 teams outside of SC .

UConn was ranked in the top 6 for most of last season while Paige was out.