Carolyn Ducharme an upgrade at No.33?

[PvP]

Seeing a tall UCONN player with the number 33 and long range shooting has to bring KLS immediately to mind. And recognizing the very small sample, I have seen Charmer show a significantly greater skill set than Lou at the same stage. Lou basically was fixed just beyond the arc as a frosh. She didn't rebound, drive or make great passes. She had a very potent long range shot and not much else. Caroline Ducharme opened my eyes with her down court dribbling, including behind the back, against L'ville. I don't recall Lou ever having such ball handling skills. This of course on top of the obvious ability to score from anywhere on the floor, to rebound at both ends and some nifty passing to boot.

I think we have a permanent starter and potential star in number 33.

 

[todbo]

Yes. Presses have been one of our bugaboos. My heart sang when she evaded the pressing LV player with a behind-the-back dribble.

 

[CocoHusky]

This is so inaccurate I don't even know where to begin. By all means give Caroline her props and flowers and accolades but let's not diminish KLS. KLS had Napheesa collier, Gabby Williams and Morgan Tuck and Stewie playing in front of her as a freshman and still managed to be a starter by season's end on a Championship team.

 

[pvdoggy]

Seeing a tall UCONN player with the number 33 and long range shooting has to bring KLS immediately to mind. And recognizing the very small sample, I have seen Charmer show a significantly greater skill set than Lou at the same stage. Lou basically was fixed just beyond the arc as a frosh. She didn't rebound, drive or make great passes. She had a very potent long range shot and not much else. Caroline Ducharme opened my eyes with her down court dribbling, including behind the back, against L'ville. I don't recall Lou ever having such ball handling skills. This of course on top of the obvious ability to score from anywhere on the floor, to rebound at both ends and some nifty passing to boot.

I think we have a permanent starter and potential star in number 33.

Lou did not need to do anything of the things you listed, even if she could and wanted it to.

 

[JoePgh]

Actually, I think UConn's ability to handle Louisville's full-court pressure with little trouble was one of the unremarked good points in in Louisville game. Evina did most of the work, and I don't recall that any of her turnovers were the result of Louisville's press. I agree that Caroline Ducharme also did this when called upon.

Evina turned the ball over when she attempted to make Paige-style court-length passes -- that isn't who she is. To repeat my previous comments, she shouldn't be a PG except in an emergency (such as existed on Sunday), and she shouldn't try to play more than about 25 minutes in most games. If she plays 25 minutes at the 2 or 3, she will shoot better and be quite productive.

@PvP , I think your comparison of Caroline Ducharme to KLS, and specifically your suggestion that Carolilne is an "upgrade", is a Christmas-season case of "new toy syndrome". Lou was actually quite a good ball handler (including behind-the-back dribbling), and even as a freshman she was working successfully on her rebounding and defense. Caroline might have an equally good career, but no one can say that after a few good games.

If Caroline Ducharme does have a statistically comparable 4-year career to Lou's (big if), UConn will win more than one NC during that time period.

By the way, does anyone remember the early-season game where Caroline came in and proceeded to dribble off her foot, and then to travel, in about 6 minutes of playing time? Many Boneyarders were saying at that time that she would be a complete bust.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

coach played her like 40 minutes, thinking 'ok, let's see what u got.'
after the game, coach be like 'hot dang!'
she's a keeper.

 

[UcMiami]

Well, let me think ....
Lou was a freshman on a team with healthy (AA) seniors Breanna Stewart, Morgan Tuck, Moriah Jefferson, healthy junior Saniya Chong, healthy sophomores Kia Nurse and Gabby Williams, and healthy fellow freshman Napheesa Collier.

What the team needed from Lou was ... staying out of the way for all the stars already on the team and hitting spot up three point shots. She shot .493/.394/.837 averaged 11ppg in 23.5mpg with 3.4rpg, and 82 asst, 45TO, and 38steals

What Caroline is doing right now is scrambling to contribute to a team with inconsistent seniors, an injured junior, injured sophomores, and injured freshmen. Right now the team will take anything they can get in any way she is able to get it. Just a slightly different mandate.

I think Caroline has a chance to be a really good player and for the next month(s) will have a chance to show us her whole game because the team needs anything she's got based on all the injuries - a situation which neither Napheesa nor Lou were placed in as freshman. The Lou of her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons is a different player with the graduation of the senior AAs, and she was an AA all three of those years. Let's enjoy what Caroline can do, and not place too many expectations on her shoulders based on one good game as a freshman.

 

[SVCBeercats]

This is so inaccurate I don't even know where to begin. By all means give Caroline her props and flowers and accolades but let's not diminish KLS. KLS had Napheesa collier, Gabby Williams and Morgan Tuck and Stewie playing in front of her as a freshman and still managed to be a starter by season's end on a Championship team.

Talk about soooo inaccurate. So by season's end she was starting in front of Stewie, Phee, Gabby and Morgan? She played behind the fifth player not these players. She could never displace any of these player.

 

[SVCBeercats]

coach played her like 40 minutes, thinking 'ok, let's see what u got.'
after the game, coach be like 'hot dang!'
she's a keeper.

And if the current rash of injuries had not happened Geno would never know how good she is. At this time in his coaching career Geno coaches like a very tight poker player. Next year he will have to play these underclassmen and win the NCAA. These seniors have more than plateaued.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

If Caroline is "a new toy", I'm headed to Toys "R" Us to get a couple more before the store is cleaned out.

 

[Huskee11]

Caroline put on quite a display the other day, I was fortunate enough to see the game in person and she was electric. I am a big fan.

Having said that, I think that we on the Boneyard tend to focus on the most recent game to the exclusion of all other prior human history. This phenomenon is more pronounced when as now there is a lot of time between games.

For example, for those bashing Evina, her efforts keeping us in the game early against UCLA a week earlier are long forgotten.

As a Freshman who now has the attention of opposing coaches, there will likely be some rough games thrown in over the course of a long season for Caroline, but hopefully plenty of games like we just saw.

As a Freshman, Lou did have the luxury of playing with Stewie et al. Nevertheless, she worked her way into the starting lineup and averaged double figures. She became the focal point for the next three years and performed admirably in that role, at times heroically. No need minimize her importance to the UConn program when expressing justifiable excitement concerning Caroline’s extremely bright future.

 

[EricLA]

I don't understand the need to applaud one player at the expense of another. 2 completely different players on 2 completely different teams. Lou had Stewie, Tuck, Jefferson, Chong, Willliams, Nurse and Collier on the team. I don't recall if all were healthy, but that's way more fire power than what we have now.

Westbrook, Williams, ONO, Juhasz, and Edwards. In the L'ville game Geno played one player off the bench (well Deberry got 3 minutes), and none of our starters (who have been her at least 3 years) scored over 10 points. Only the 2 newbies did.

So Caroline stepped up because she needed to. If Jefferson, Tuck, Stewie, and Nurse consistently stunk up the joint, I'm sure KLS and Napheesa would have been needed to do a lot more than they did. But it's apples/oranges.

 

[veryolddog]

It is really great that we are seeing he emergence of CD as a bonfide asset to the Team. Remember, we would not have seen this explosion of talent had not Paige, Nika, Azzi, and Aubrey been taken out for injuries. Until we start seeing Azzi Fudd score 5 three's per game and play defense, is she going to start over Carolyn? When does any quality player get a real chance to demonstrate their strengths, when everyone else is dead?

 

[HopJim]

Caroline put on quite a display the other day, I was fortunate enough to see the game in person and she was electric. I am a big fan.

Having said that, I think that we on the Boneyard tend to focus on the most recent game to the exclusion of all other prior human history. This phenomenon is more pronounced when as now there is a lot of time between games.

For example, for those bashing Evina, her efforts keeping us in the game early against UCLA a week earlier are long forgotten.

As a Freshman who now has the attention of opposing coaches, there will likely be some rough games thrown in over the course of a long season for Caroline, but hopefully plenty of games like we just saw.

As a Freshman, Lou did have the luxury of playing with Stewie et al. Nevertheless, she worked her way into the starting lineup and averaged double figures. She became the focal point for the next three years and performed admirably in that role, at times heroically. No need minimize her importance to the UConn program when expressing justifiable excitement concerning Caroline’s extremely bright future.

Have to extend your thought. With CD we are not only focusing on the last game, but the last half, perhaps last quarter of that game. I love CD and that we are having this conversation but for anyone who watched the game, she missed most of her shots the first half and played fair, at best, defense. I am not diminishing her accomplishments since she played the entire game and most have been exhausted when she whet on her scoring blitz. While its unfair at this point to compare CD to KLS, KLS was inconsistent her first few games then became one of the most consistent 3 point shooters in UConn history. Let's hope we can continue to have this conversation.

 

[HopJim]

Seeing a tall UCONN player with the number 33 and long range shooting has to bring KLS immediately to mind. And recognizing the very small sample, I have seen Charmer show a significantly greater skill set than Lou at the same stage. Lou basically was fixed just beyond the arc as a frosh. She didn't rebound, drive or make great passes. She had a very potent long range shot and not much else. Caroline Ducharme opened my eyes with her down court dribbling, including behind the back, against L'ville. I don't recall Lou ever having such ball handling skills. This of course on top of the obvious ability to score from anywhere on the floor, to rebound at both ends and some nifty passing to boot.

I think we have a permanent starter and potential star in number 33.

I have to question if you ever saw KLS play. Great shooter, yes, but also a great passer and cutter. Many, many layups made off of picks and intellient movement without the bass. Made everyone else better since other teams had to focus on her. Love Caroline and hope she continues to warrant this conversation.

 

[MrRick]

Way way too early! But she does show that she will be a good one!

 

[TeamFirst!]

With any player, it's more than one game. All that said, Caroline showed that she is fundementally strong in so many ways. Blocking out for rebounds, eurostep, handling the press, dribbling left handed at full speed most of a court length with someone on her...etc. We all see some potential improvements but she is heads and shoulders above most of the players we see each week. She appears smart enough, and committed enough, to get even better.

I find her background so interesting. She's already overcome an ACL and a torn shoulder labrum? She was a point guard for much of her time in high school as she didn't grow until late teens. It's no surprise she can handle the ball. If you watched many of her high schoolo games she had tremendous shooting range and came up big in big games. She probably could be a decent point guard. She penetrates well. She doesn't make many mistakes passing. South Carolina has 6'4" Amihere as point guard now and she's 4-5 in 3 point shooting.

 

[TeamFirst!]

By the way, her high school coach specifically compared her to KLS. Several times. He also stressed that she would thrive in Geno's high pressure environment.

 

[Sam.the.Man]

Talk about soooo inaccurate. So by season's end she was starting in front of Stewie, Phee, Gabby and Morgan? She played behind the fifth player not these players. She could never displace any of these player.

Re-read what CocoHusky actually said and not what you think he said.

 

[Sam.the.Man]

Seeing a tall UCONN player with the number 33 and long range shooting has to bring KLS immediately to mind. And recognizing the very small sample, I have seen Charmer show a significantly greater skill set than Lou at the same stage. Lou basically was fixed just beyond the arc as a frosh. She didn't rebound, drive or make great passes. She had a very potent long range shot and not much else. Caroline Ducharme opened my eyes with her down court dribbling, including behind the back, against L'ville. I don't recall Lou ever having such ball handling skills. This of course on top of the obvious ability to score from anywhere on the floor, to rebound at both ends and some nifty passing to boot.

I think we have a permanent starter and potential star in number 33.

Your headline is offensive! Katie Lou was one of UConn's great players. I love what I see in Caroline to date, but to question whether she is an upgrade at this point in an injustice to all the great moments KLS provided us.

 

[Centerstream]

Maybe once Caroline becomes an AA and makes 10 straight 3s in the same game, maybe...

 

[Rixxx]

I caution everybody to remember that freshmen hit something called the wall in their first year. Hopefully, Caroline will knock it down.

 

[TheFarmFan]

I agree that Caroline Ducharme looked outstanding against Louisville - great handle, high IQ, terrific rebounder, great engine, and one or two outstanding cuts to the basket. I just kept asking myself: is there any Squeaks does better even though she's three years older? On the court yesterday, I did not see it. Then again, I felt the exact same way when Squeaks singlehandedly lit up Notre Dame as a frosh. And I don't know I've seen such a complete performance from her since.

It's hard to remember frosh Lou but the Lou I remember was still a better and more reliable 3 point shooter and was stronger on boxing out and defending under the basket. In that sense, I think Caroline Ducharme will have a slightly different role as more of a jack of all trades. But man, was she fun to watch!

 

[phil sampieri]

Seeing a tall UCONN player with the number 33 and long range shooting has to bring KLS immediately to mind. And recognizing the very small sample, I have seen Charmer show a significantly greater skill set than Lou at the same stage. Lou basically was fixed just beyond the arc as a frosh. She didn't rebound, drive or make great passes. She had a very potent long range shot and not much else. Caroline Ducharme opened my eyes with her down court dribbling, including behind the back, against L'ville. I don't recall Lou ever having such ball handling skills. This of course on top of the obvious ability to score from anywhere on the floor, to rebound at both ends and some nifty passing to boot.

I think we have a permanent starter and potential star in number 33.

Ok we all have an opinion but how can 1 game merit a comparison to a 4 year consistent player. I hope you could be right but maybe we should wait a bit, no.?