Is Lou The Best Transfer UConn Has Ever Had

[eebmg]

I think the negativity is related to the perception that Geno was blindsided with Azure leaving early. Geno seemed to be all in on the idea that she would play for 2 years and that he was very eager to coach her in her final year to a NPOY Stewie level and probably felt that was in her best interest. Geno was pretty naive about stuff like this at the time but I think was pretty well prepared by the Megan Walker time.

 

[diggerfoot]

I think it can be said that Lou absolutely has integrated into the team better than any other transfer, but that is also a product of the situation she has entered. With Paige out for the year and Caroline sidelined to start the year she was needed to immediately start. And then when Dorka was injured after two games, the need was increased.

No question in my mind that without the injuries her contributions would have been reduced and we might not be raving about her as much. This is not a criticism, just noting that if she were coming off the bench as a 'quick offense' option it would be the sort of role initially imagined by both the coaches and Lou when she first committed. And we as fans wouldn't be quite so impressed.

You bring up excellent points, though it’s ironic you also bring up R. Williams previously. Both Williams and LLS fit their roles perfectly. Maybe you are giving extra points for LLS exceeding what her expected role was to be? Nothing wrong with that, though there also is nothing wrong in pointing out that Williams fit her expected role perfectly for three years.

 

[bballnut90]

I have to disagree on a couple levels. I didn't assume the OP was seeking a "talent" assessment but rather an impact/value of their performance after their arrival at UCONN. A simple talent evaluation of a healthy Hunter, Westbrook, Stevens, LLS might result in that exact order. So although Evina would be ranked as more talented than LLS we would not be even debating this thread if LLS UCONN Impact ( so far) has not more than Evina's. BTW a version of this exact same thread a few years ago -Was Evina UCONN best transfer ever.
I think you are severely underestimating Azura's importance to that '17-'18 team. @diggerfoot has correctly alluded to the chemistry issues between Collier and Stevens. It is well document Collier had her worst season while playing with Stevens.
Gabby had a slight regression in performance but almost all of that was due to her hip issue and had nothing to do with Azura.
If you want to look for additional Azura value to that team consider:
1) See my previous pos. KLS was hurt in game 2 she actually missed playing in what was supposed to be her home coming game at UCLA- Azura stepped in and put up big numbers as a starter.
2) Without Azura on the roster the teams' 6th man would have been Megan Walker. Although she showed flashes as a freshman Walker would not have been good enough as a freshman to be 6th man for a FF 36 and 1 team and accomplish item 1 above. As a reminder, Megan walker was a healthy DNP Coaches decision in the FF OT loss to ND while Azura was putting up 19 points on 8 for 12 shooting.
3) The eventual National Champion that season was ND which had Jessica Shepard gifted as immediate eligible. Azura was UCONN best player in both games against ND that season. If you really want to see an example of Azura's value that season just watch the last quarter of the first ND game when UCONN trailed by double digits and Azura was front and center in that come back .

I interpreted best as meaning either a player who offers the most benefit to UCONN (which I agree, it's early but LLS seems like a perfect fit for this team), but I don't think LLS is a better player than Stevens, or that her season will be better than Stevens was in 2017-18 so I wanted to clarify.

In regards to talent level, I'd definitely put Stevens ahead of those 3. Stevens at 6-6 could handle the rock, shoot the 3, and was a very good scorer and rebounder inside with great touch. She was grossly under ranked coming out of HS, to the point of someone here saw her HS highlights and created a thread questioning how she was only the #23 recruit coming out of HS (this was when she was a Duke commit at the time and had no relevance to UCONN). She was great from the get go and panned out to be a fantastic player. Ended up being a #6 WNBA draft pick, though she was as high as #2 on many mock drafts. Westbrook was a #2 recruit in a class that notoriously underachieved, both collegiately and in the pros. She had injuries but her skill never formulated into her being a player close to her HS ranking. In regards to Hunter, she had the HS accolades and good upside, but comparing her to Stevens, I think Stevens had a much more impressive skill set than Hunter. Hunter was more of a traditional physical post with good upside but was riddled with injuries.

In regards to Stevens impact on the 2017-18 team, I agree with all of what you say. Stevens was fantastic when she got on the court, and was the difference maker in both ND games. She made herself into one of UCONN's best players and she was a major contributor. Comparing the 2016-17 team to the 2017-18 team though, the chemistry was better IMO in 2016-17. I echo @diggerfoot who outlines it perfectly here,

"I totally understand the argument for Stevens based on her individual production, but her role on the roster created a decrease in production from Collier, and the two phenomena were most definitely related. Despite the impressive year we had, the whole was less than the sum of the parts that year. With the potential AA talent we had, both offensively and defensively, we might have been 2016 dominant if the whole was greater than the sum. Sidebar: I do not blame Stevens at all, nor do I fault her for leaving. Chemistry is a tricky thing, even for a program like UConn."

Adding in big time players to an already loaded team always comes with risks that can often outweigh the reward.

 

[CocoHusky]

I think the negativity is related to the perception that Geno was blindsided with Azure leaving early. Geno seemed to be all in on the idea that she would play for 2 years and that he was very eager to coach her in her final year to a NPOY Stewie level and probably felt that was in her best interest. Geno was pretty naive about stuff like this at the time but I think was pretty well prepared by the Megan Walker time.

I don't think Geno was being naive back then with Azura. Geno is ultra competitive and much like the rest of us he regrets losing a player that he would have been able to develop into a champion. That IMO is regret and not negativity. Morgan Tuck is my favorite UCONN player ever. I regret that Morgan did not come back for her last season. I regret that Freshman Paige did not have Megan Walker (would have been a returning AA and only senior) to get that team just a little further because they did not have that much further to become champions. Of course I regret Azura not coming back for another season, just about as much as I regret her not applying for immediate eligibility upon her arrival at UCONN. Of course I regret Natalie Butler not coming back for her final season because in the last game of the '17-'18 she could have given UCONN a contribution equal to Coco Nelson of ND-& that might have been the difference.
Negativity is looking back and saying these players were not important to UCONN fortunes, were at UCONN for selfish reason and somehow cheated or disappointed us by leaving.

 

[BobbyJ]

Megan Walker could have stayed two more seasons with the 5th year Covid extra year. Could she have made a difference against AZ 2 years ago and SC last year? Sure Hindsight can be many different things. She kinda got chewed up and spit out in the WNBA. She still is not on the wall. Would she have been much better suited for the WNBA last summer had she stayed?

Walker left school in spring of 2020. Long before the Covid season even started.

 

[CocoHusky]

You're right, I should have posted this 3 games ago.

Three games ago would have been too late. I'm fairly certain it was after game one, that I saw a BY post declaring LLS was going to be an All American- it might have even been after the exhibition game.

 

[Majic Hands]

To this point I would say yes.

However, there is a whole lot of this season to see how things go.

 

[CocoHusky]

Megan Walker could have stayed two more seasons with the 5th year Covid extra year. Could she have made a difference against AZ 2 years ago and SC last year? Sure Hindsight can be many different things. She kinda got chewed up and spit out in the WNBA. She still is not on the wall. Would she have been much better suited for the WNBA last summer had she stayed?

Megan Walker was not eligible for the NCAA COVID year because she declared for the WNBA before those considerations were implemented.
Megan Could have made a difference in AZ.
As far as her being spit out of the WNBA just remeber she caught COVID in her departure fro UCONN aand had to recover from that before starting her WNBA career- give her some time. Most UCONN products will find a way to contribute in the WNBA and Megan is a UCONN product don't bet against her.

 

[UcMiami]

You bring up excellent points, though it’s ironic you also bring up R. Williams previously. Both Williams and LLS fit their roles perfectly. Maybe you are giving extra points for LLS exceeding what her expected role was to be? Nothing wrong with that, though there also is nothing wrong in pointing out that Williams fit her expected role perfectly for three years.

But Rita wasn't all that important her first year as she was backing up Jen Rizzotti her senior year. Stats: 30 games 344 minutes 11 min/game, 79 total points, 24 assists, 58 TO, and 33 steals.

Rita came into her own her Junior and Senior seasons

 

[diggerfoot]

But Rita wasn't all that important her first year as she was backing up Jen Rizzotti her senior year. Stats: 30 games 344 minutes 11 min/game, 79 total points, 24 assists, 58 TO, and 33 steals.

Rita came into her own her Junior and Senior seasons

OK, I understand your point now. I did not interpret “integrated” to mean importance rather than fit. Williams filled the role she was meant to all three years, including the role of “understudy” the first year.

 

[stamfordhusky]

I don’t go back as far as many of you on the BY, so I would love to hear your feedback.

Azure and Dorka better.

 

[iri10]

Overall, she's not the best transfer ever. But so far she might be the best "plug 'n play" transfer, in the sense that she came in, and immediately delivered what Geno would have hoped she could deliver, without needing a long time for adjusting to the new team, or being overwhelmed by the moments.

"It just works"

 

[cbraarj]

Brittany Hunter was really a good transfer on a bad knee. She filled in for Tina Charles during her sophomore year and would have been an All American if not injured!!!

 

[cbraarj]

Yep, Geno lost the championship by not playing her more in 2nd half

IMO Geno loss that game because of that.

 

[boontonbomber]

While Lou is not the most talented basketball player to transfer to UConn, so far this season she has meshed better with this team than any other transfer in the history of UConn WBB imo. She has done so because of her talent, experience, exceptional basketball IQ and a level of confidence to take and make big shots.

Z was an exceptionally talented transfer. But there was always a problem with her meshing with that UConn team. Specifically, Z and Pheesa both were at their best in the low post on offense, and only one could fill that role at a time, forcing UConn to either sit the other or play them out of position.

That's experience with a capital E; she's 24 years old.

 

[From France]

Evina, Azura, Lou, Natalie in that order & I'm routing for Lou

 

[LwrcasefaN]

I'll answer that when the season ends. She certainly is the most seamless fit.

 

[wingsfan055]

Way too early to compare Lou. Azura is top transfer for me. IMO, probably Geno's biggest coaching mistake was sitting Azura to start the 2nd half in the ND semifinal. We had the better team & more talent that year.

 

[AzzisBraids]

The best fit to for UConn's system - yes. The best transfer? - TBD

 

[jchusky]

this post was bad karma

 

[bballnut90]

this post was bad karma

I mean if anything LLS further bolstered her case. She was by far the best Huskie today.

 

[nastynatty]

She has done so because of her talent, experience, exceptional basketball IQ and a level of confidence to take and make big shots.

I agree with all of this and Lou has quickly become one of my favorite Huskies. I am already wishing she had more than 1 year of eligibility left because has really thrived from the second she arrived in Storrs. However, I do have to acknowledge that a lot of things aligned for Lou to have the kind of impact she’s having with this current team. That doesn’t take a single thing away from her play but it’s hard to know if she’d have similar opportunities had Paige been healthy this year or had Caroline not suffered the slow start to the season due to lingering injury.

***Edit: Just realized that UcMiami basically said the exact same thing in an earlier post LOL.

 

[Aluminny69]

Brittany Hunter was really a good transfer on a bad knee. She filled in for Tina Charles during her sophomore year and would have been an All American if not injured!!!

Brittany Hunter was the consensus number one recruit when she chose DUKE. So, she was the best athlete to transfer to UConn. Unfortunately, she was injured her freshman year at DUKE, and never fully recovered. But she still had a productive three years at UConn. Here's her bio:

Hunter started in 24 of 30 games as a senior, averaging 5.5 ppg and 3.3 rpg while leading the Huskies to the NCAA Final Four, the BIG EAST regular season title and the BIG EAST Tournament championship. A solid post player, Hunter helped her squad to two BIG EAST regular season titles, Two BIG EAST Tournament titles, the Elite Eight and the Final Four during her three-year UConn career.

Hunter was the consensus top-rated high school player in the nation in recruiting rankings by All-Star Girls Report, Full Court Press, Blue Star and All-Game Sports. The 2003 Parade National Player of Year, Hunter holds the distinction of being the first woman to ever compete in the McDonald's All-American slam dunk competition. As a senior at Brookhaven High School, she was selected Miss Basketball in Ohio, was one of three players selected Associated Press Ohio Player of the Year and Associated Press First Team All-State. Hunter was also a USA Today First Team All-American and the Gatorade Ohio Player of the year.

 

[Forego]

I would think that Rita Williams' transfer from Mitchell College to UConn would get mentioned with the best all time transfers.

Rita Williams entered UConn from Mitchell College. If memory serves me correctly, Mitchell was a junior college at the time and not a four year collegiate institution. Therefore, technically Rita was not a transfer. Mitchell has since upgraded its status to a four-year college.

 

[From France]

Rita was not a transfer, she went on Ju Co on UCONN's decison