oldude
bamboo lover
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On the surface, being ranked 4th in the nation at 15-1 is great. Think how delighted the folks in South Bend would be. But it’s undeniable that this team is struggling more than we’re all used to. The beautiful symphony of movement on offense that lead to one easy basket after another has been largely replaced by a grind-it-out effort to score points. Those scoring bursts where UConn overwhelmed opponents, putting the game away early are far less frequent, replaced by closer games where the outcome is often in doubt. What exactly is going on?
We need to start with what’s missing. While UConn has fielded teams that lacked depth, size and/or experience the past few seasons, the Huskies have always fielded a talented starting 5 who could all score, pass and execute the offense. In addition, UConn had several outstanding defenders who could force turnovers, leading to easy transition baskets. Obviously, replacing the highest scoring duo in UConn WBB’s history is a challenge, but not just because of the points Pheesa and Lou scored.
Pheesa was one of the best low post scorers ever. Her ability to establish position, catch any pass and then perfectly execute one of her many scoring moves was the single most important factor in the success of UConn’s half-court offense for the past three seasons. UConn’s offense has bogged down frequently this season, but it’s not like that never happened before. The difference is that in the past few seasons, when the offense bogged down, UConn would simply throw it into the post and Pheesa would do her thing.
As for Lou, we all know she was a great shooter. What we sometimes overlook is that Lou was one of the best passers on the team. While never reluctant to shoot the ball, Lou’s ability to find open teammates with pinpoint passes in the half court or in transition was phenomenal. In addition, Lou never stopped moving. Overplay her at the arc and she would cut hard for easy backdoor layups. Face guard her with a small defender and Lou would flash into the low post to score over that defender.
There have been numerous threads on the BY dealing with recruiting misses and player transfers. Suffice it to say that with the recruiting misses on the top three HS players in the Class of 2019, the transfer of 3 of 4 players from Megan’s class as well as Batouly’s ongoing health issues, Geno was faced with one hell of a challenge fielding a strong team again this season. He signed Aubrey during the regular signing period and then surprised many with a flurry of activity during recruiting’s “second season.” Anna was the first signee outside N.A. since Sveta. Evelyn was the first Graduate transfer ever. Finally, Evina was a significant undergraduate transfer from TN.
After Geno finalized all these additions to the roster, he said something that was both interesting and inciteful. Geno commented, “I think we’re going to be all right.” My take is that Geno had known his roster wasn’t deep enough and all his late additions were a patchwork to hold it together. So what has happened? Evina, who would have been a huge addition this season is not eligible, and even if she were, she might not be healthy. So far, Evelyn hasn’t worked out as hoped for. Aubrey is an incredibly talented athlete, but she is struggling to learn the system, which is not uncommon for a freshman. Anna has started to score more consistently, but the rest of her game is up and down.
Five players can win you a championship if it’s the right 5. Just look at ND 2 years ago. Right now, Geno has 3 players who can probably start for almost any team in the country. Crystal, Megan and Christyn play the most minutes and they carry much of the scoring load for this team. After the Big 3, the lineup is more muddled. Clearly, Liv is critical to the success of this team and she’s had some wonderful games, but until she can hold her own against some of the top post players in the country and stay out of foul trouble, UConn will struggle to win big games.
As far as the 5th starter, I honestly don’t believe UConn has one right now. Kyla has been the placeholder because she knows the offense and the ball moves better with her on the floor, but she’s got to be able to score at least a little or defenses will just back off her. Anna is a similar player to Kyla, and perhaps more versatile. Whether Anna can play 30 minutes a game and be effective remains to be seen. Finally, there is Aubrey. Her athleticism and hustle are exhilarating. But her inability to grasp the offense and her reluctance to shoot the ball are frustrating.
No one is better at preparing a team for a championship run in March than Geno and his staff. Right now, Geno has only three players he can count on. He needs at least five. Whether or not he gets there will determine if UConn makes it back to yet another FF or experiences the earliest exit from the Big Dance in years. At the start of the season, I predicted that UConn would make their 13th straight FF. I’m sticking with that prediction for now, although I must admit my crystal ball is hazier than it was at the beginning of the season.
We need to start with what’s missing. While UConn has fielded teams that lacked depth, size and/or experience the past few seasons, the Huskies have always fielded a talented starting 5 who could all score, pass and execute the offense. In addition, UConn had several outstanding defenders who could force turnovers, leading to easy transition baskets. Obviously, replacing the highest scoring duo in UConn WBB’s history is a challenge, but not just because of the points Pheesa and Lou scored.
Pheesa was one of the best low post scorers ever. Her ability to establish position, catch any pass and then perfectly execute one of her many scoring moves was the single most important factor in the success of UConn’s half-court offense for the past three seasons. UConn’s offense has bogged down frequently this season, but it’s not like that never happened before. The difference is that in the past few seasons, when the offense bogged down, UConn would simply throw it into the post and Pheesa would do her thing.
As for Lou, we all know she was a great shooter. What we sometimes overlook is that Lou was one of the best passers on the team. While never reluctant to shoot the ball, Lou’s ability to find open teammates with pinpoint passes in the half court or in transition was phenomenal. In addition, Lou never stopped moving. Overplay her at the arc and she would cut hard for easy backdoor layups. Face guard her with a small defender and Lou would flash into the low post to score over that defender.
There have been numerous threads on the BY dealing with recruiting misses and player transfers. Suffice it to say that with the recruiting misses on the top three HS players in the Class of 2019, the transfer of 3 of 4 players from Megan’s class as well as Batouly’s ongoing health issues, Geno was faced with one hell of a challenge fielding a strong team again this season. He signed Aubrey during the regular signing period and then surprised many with a flurry of activity during recruiting’s “second season.” Anna was the first signee outside N.A. since Sveta. Evelyn was the first Graduate transfer ever. Finally, Evina was a significant undergraduate transfer from TN.
After Geno finalized all these additions to the roster, he said something that was both interesting and inciteful. Geno commented, “I think we’re going to be all right.” My take is that Geno had known his roster wasn’t deep enough and all his late additions were a patchwork to hold it together. So what has happened? Evina, who would have been a huge addition this season is not eligible, and even if she were, she might not be healthy. So far, Evelyn hasn’t worked out as hoped for. Aubrey is an incredibly talented athlete, but she is struggling to learn the system, which is not uncommon for a freshman. Anna has started to score more consistently, but the rest of her game is up and down.
Five players can win you a championship if it’s the right 5. Just look at ND 2 years ago. Right now, Geno has 3 players who can probably start for almost any team in the country. Crystal, Megan and Christyn play the most minutes and they carry much of the scoring load for this team. After the Big 3, the lineup is more muddled. Clearly, Liv is critical to the success of this team and she’s had some wonderful games, but until she can hold her own against some of the top post players in the country and stay out of foul trouble, UConn will struggle to win big games.
As far as the 5th starter, I honestly don’t believe UConn has one right now. Kyla has been the placeholder because she knows the offense and the ball moves better with her on the floor, but she’s got to be able to score at least a little or defenses will just back off her. Anna is a similar player to Kyla, and perhaps more versatile. Whether Anna can play 30 minutes a game and be effective remains to be seen. Finally, there is Aubrey. Her athleticism and hustle are exhilarating. But her inability to grasp the offense and her reluctance to shoot the ball are frustrating.
No one is better at preparing a team for a championship run in March than Geno and his staff. Right now, Geno has only three players he can count on. He needs at least five. Whether or not he gets there will determine if UConn makes it back to yet another FF or experiences the earliest exit from the Big Dance in years. At the start of the season, I predicted that UConn would make their 13th straight FF. I’m sticking with that prediction for now, although I must admit my crystal ball is hazier than it was at the beginning of the season.